


Forgotten Phoenix

by Hypnosis_Freak



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Anxiety Disorder, Childhood Memories, Class Differences, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Humans against magic, M/M, Mention of abuse, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, Slow Burn, Tags Are Hard, fantasy/modern
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:00:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 53,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25293580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hypnosis_Freak/pseuds/Hypnosis_Freak
Summary: Etheria, where their treaty promised peace and fairness to humans and those with magical talents who roamed the grounds for the first time in years, opened their gates to Bright Moon University. It made the treaty feel more real than the paper did as everyone had their own thoughts, but when differences could work together to succeed for their future? That stuck. Catra would make her presence stick here while some elders were displeased- others saw it as the perfect plan for hell.She did not care one way or the other and would be fine with this. Chaos would distract her from the gnawing emptiness that earning power brought on from being their most successful pupil right?That was the ideal plan and thought until like fire and water- was doused underneath the source of her childhood insecurities and abandonment issues. It would never seem to earn any other emotion than astonishment when met with that blonde hair that was warm like the sun and those blue eyes that could whittle her resolves. Emotional growth? Reconnecting relationships? Could that be something she could do herself? Or had their fates been decided already. Who knows- this was colleague after all.
Relationships: Adora & Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Kudos: 12





	1. Who You Never Were

Chimes that laid dormant across open windows shuffled against the gentle hurl of air pushing into the household. Their melody intermingling with the groaning from each occasional pieces of floorboard as their cries against the unwanted attention carried down the hall. This home had an almost non-existent form of warmth or life aside from the occasional grumble from elders and flickering of candles along the wall lines. Time could have been presumed to be caught in an unknown era, if not for the moon beaming through the open window and grabbing whatever it could land on. 

Another morning and evening had come and gone and left nothing but the silhouettes of two small children mapping their way through the darkness. Their fingers interlocked for reassurance to each other that needed no monologue to express that they were in this together. Breathing felt forceful as the smaller girl could only assume when her friend told her to keep silent; she had to hold her breath. It was becoming unbearably impossible to hold on any longer though, as her pale cheeks were turning all different arrays of red. Her expression though, remained stoic as her cerulean irises stared with trust at their friend's stiff shoulders as their attention remained focus on the hallway ahead. 

Their mane like hairdo, making it nearly impossible to see past while the occasional noise brought the unconscious response of two black ears to rouse about. She did trust her friend, but when she thought of the consequences they- no  _ she  _ would meet had they ran into any of their elders. It made her uneasy enough to feel each churn of her stomach. Perhaps had they turned back before anything unexpected collided with their plan, they could laugh this off tomorrow or redo it another night. "C-Catra, maybe we should reconsider this." 

Had that been her own words or her disorientating thoughts, the young child could no longer determine after the endless amount of fear that whittled down the bones in her legs. Their other companions had long since returned to the realm of dreams while here they were. Sneaking around to places that were not prohibited at such hours. Her thoughts though nothing more than wrinkled shirts, were smoothened out when feeling the other girl tighten their fingers together before looking back. They were both protected as long as the pair had each other. Their unspoken agreement. "Adora," 

Hearing her own name should not have left her feeling as defenseless as it had whenever hearing this familiar voice calling out to her and despite that. She could feel her heart thumping from the bottom of her throat as she became aware of how cold it was. Either that or her unending anxieties were really messing up with her senses. "You know you really don't have to take what I said so literally when keeping quiet. Breath before you pass out and make me carry you as you do  _ always _ you big scared dummy" 

Leave it to the one and only to earn the force of her stubborn nature that, for the most part, remained dormant somewhere in her heart. She could not let this insult go until she, of course, could clarify why she was wrong about what she had suggested. Mature. "Shut up, Catra! I'm not scared, and had you been more carefree like you are most the times I wouldn't feel like this requires me to not breathe in the first place! Plus, I can totally do anything you do but twice better, even when that means sneaking around!" Frustrated and exhausted from her own mental demons, she could only growl out the first bits until she felt that comforting hand release her own by the windows. 

Her breathing that had been irregular to begin with felt as though it were escaping her at the loss of contact with the other child. Fear rendering her once more useless as she could only watch as the other child stalked around the window before shaking her head and grinning. "Fine, princess." Both stared off at the other in curiosity of their next move before once more that mischievous gleam underneath the moonlight shone in their mismatched eyes. It would never be that easy to persuade this hot-headed feline was all she could think as whatever hope to returning to their bed was doused. 

Catra, without another moment to let the other child process her actions, turned on her feet and grabbed onto the window sill. Her slender frame being chunked up and over the window until her feet made contact with the grass outside. "You can think you're better than me, but to earn my respect, you have to commit to your crimes and show me you are! Now hurry up and come on before the elders come back, then we are seriously screwed!" Underneath the guise of the moon behind those familiar and yet unfamiliar eyes stared at her with an almost feral tint to them. She was asking for her trust without evening asking as she did all the time and- like every time ever- Adora trusted her words more than her thoughts. 

Adrenaline coursed through her blood as her feet without another thought led her to the open window where her friend was waiting impatiently. It was already far too late for any backtracking now as her fingertips grabbed onto the window, and she rose onto her toes in an attempt to climb. Not once during her attempt at hiding her struggling form did their eyes leave her as that arrogant and luring stare never once left her. She felt safe with her, but that still did not excuse the fact that they were trying their hardest not to laugh at her attempt. "You're going to really really regret provoking me, Catra! Just you might be older than me and have better reflexes does not mean you can laugh at me!" 

"You're the one who chose to climb onto the window like some kind of dying fish, Adora- what do you want me to react like? Some kind of caring idiot who would get tangled up in your mess of limbs? Sounds kinda stupid if you ask me, so I'll decline the offer." Her sarcastic tone was venomous for someone never bitten once, but for the other child, she could roll it off her shoulders and mock back. Just something like knowing her friend was talking to her was her only defense against the sickening feeling of her churning stomach pressed against wood as she straddled the window. 

Unkempt golden locks loose from their usual hairband threatened to spill over onto her eyes until she pressed her lips thin tight and blew up. "You're sooo annoying, Catra! Just tell me whenever you hear someone, so I can hurry over this window and beat you up in your own game already!" 

Her desire to please her friend momentarily was starting to wash over self-doubt and all the worries only for a second, before they were reinforced once more by the sound of her nightmares. Somewhere down the hall approaching their hideout fast, she could hear their mentors idly chat about monotonous conversations. She began to feel heavy under the thought of being caught by their elder Shadow weaver. Her breathing and thoughts were torn from her chest nearly as fast as they had come as she could feel Catra digging her sharp nails into her ankle, pulling her down to the ground with a thud. "Catra, what are you- Ouch!"

Tears threatened to break past their threshold when feeling her small frame connect with the solid ground beneath. Her breath that she had been holding when climbing up on the window had been for what it felt like tore from her chest. It hurt so much for someone her frame, and she wanted to scream her head off at the source of her pain, but her friend had other plans. Their warm palms slapped against her mouth with furrowed brows before they shook their head and looked above. She had forgotten the prior situation they had found themselves in due to the pain until two adult voices rang once more in her ears. 

"The children are all presumably retired to their rooms for the night so we can now go over the information Hordak had sent this evening. It would seem he has been pleased so far with our strides in training the late-blooming children, but do keep in mind, Scorpia. There are time limits set for these children before we are required to return them regardless of their progress or not." Hearing that voice that was punctuational to the core earned an uncontrollable shudder from the children as Adora brought her own hands up to her own mouth. She strained her ears to listen to both figures, such as the other girl had been doing. 

"Great! I mean not great that we have an only small amount of time teaching these kids anything in case they don't bloom but great that our training has been paying off Dontcha think? The kids are great listeners this time around, although their pranks are sometimes a bit much to keep up with! Although I love their spirits!"

Dread dense enough that the air around them felt inadequate enough to breath brought them from their thoughts. Neither understood what to do as their muscles were tense when tuning in the listen to the other conversation from overhead. Their distinct differences when mentioning the children not going unnoticed as the other woman could only thoughtfully sigh in resign. It remained in ears distance long enough for both children beneath to recoil before they were out of reach once more. Although the pair of dark ears roused about at the last remark from the resentful lady who went by the name "Shadow Weaver."

"You might for once be onto something about the children. They have been a fascinating bunch yet practically powerless to be relied upon to work with constantly. Specifically, the one that has no magic discharging from her.."

* * *

_ Adora...  _

_ They were talking about her as though she were some burden on the others.  _

Frustration that could suffocate one underneath the sheer intensity was brimming and tearing her thoughts away from their conversation. She understood that regardless though of their treatment, the other child would not once show her distress or speak up for herself. It frustrated her almost as much as her own inability to defend her companion against the onslaught of accused stares. Warmth coated her tongue in that familiar copper taste as her teeth dug into her cheek, and she looked down at the younger child beside her. 

Their innocent but boundless blue eyes sought out her own with an unspoken familiarity that grounded her during their darkest moments. Underneath the moon's natural source, those anxious eyes were full of uncertainty though and unshed tears. She had to collect herself for them both before the inevitable spiral of fear consumed them both where they sat. She had and some reason with that in mind her own nerves were on the brink as her expression must have given that way. 

Her breathing for what could feel like an eternity became caught in her throat when feeling small fingers pressed against the space between her ears. It could not be defined as the most coordinated motion for reassurance, but it brought her thoughts down from wherever they had been. She could feel her entire chest rumble underneath the warmth of the other child until her ears rose from her hair and her tail thumped against the ground. She was far too readable for her own good- they both were sometimes. 

Her crestfallen expression straightened out under her best attempt to offer the other child some understanding smile. It like all the other times when expressing her emotions, came out weak and unsure before she removed her palm from the other child's mouth, cleaning it on her battered cloak. "Ignore them, dummy, you know regretting anything now is not going to change where we are. Although you should have seen the look on her face while you were totally drooling all over my hands! You'd think for being 10; you wouldn't drool so much!" 

Catra was still nothing more than another child thrown to the world as the other children in their batch. She could work on her emotional expressions later on once they were far enough from their problems. Tonight would be their night to run through the night without restraints. This thought brought back the light feeling in her chest as she took the other child's hand and pulled them both to their feet, stumbling into another sprint through the fresh air autumn. Moonlight protecting them from their fears, while the sense of freedom caught them in an adrenaline rush. 

She had one task left to complete her dedicated goal. Just to let the other child understand there was more to the world than being the obedient and caged bird she thought she was. "Pfft-me? Drooling all over your dirty hands, that got some dirt in my mouth! You know you caught me off guard when you grabbed my leg without warning me! Plus, are you even listening to me anymore? You better have at least know where we are going and have an easy path back!" 

Her lighthearted protest was not enough to conceal that warming smile that made those dimples on her small cheeks prominent. Catra could feel that contagious warmth from the sight tearing out her own throaty snicker as their path through the trees was becoming aimless. This had been her release to their calamity during her free time when Adora could not be around her. It was her world, and now it would be theirs together. "You know Adora, planning out everything doesn't make it go to plan like you would think it would! Plus, that would take the fun out of everything if you didn't have moments in life where you had to improvise!" 

Her taunts were enough to rouse another unpleasant grumble from behind as their fingers loosened until she could run ahead. She was too caught up in the moment where the wind was rushing through her hair and clearing her mind from what had happened earlier to care anymore. It brought on another fit of laughter from her stomach as her friend behind did not hold out on protesting more at the lack of her company leading her. "You're running ahead too far, Catra! You said you would run with me at my pace- our pace, you liar! You're going to totally get it now without holding back anymore!" 

This contest for superiority in predator and their prey had felt unnatural for Catra as for most time; she would be the one chase another without another thought. This would, of course, spur from her natural instincts when regarding the fact she was from the Magicat race but-for tonight. She would let her friend take her reigns and run her for all her worth through the forest. That would be only if she could run fast enough to keep up with her though. Things could never be easy, even for someone close to her like Adora. 

Neither would appreciate their game unless things were competitive like that though. It was another minor reason she could be herself around the other child, unlike with the others who brought out her vicious nature. _ Time to make things more complicated. _

Her scuttle through foliage beneath her feet came to an unsure halt that let her contemplate her next best option to increase their challenge. She could do what she did best. Climb. There would be nothing more comfortable than running through the forest from somewhere with a better advantage. Lingering on the thought for another moment, she brought herself down further on her knees and pounced forward, struggling to dig into the bark of nearby branches until she brought herself up. 

From behind, she could hear haggard breathing from her friend as their distance on them was getting smaller. Their small frame was charging through low branches like an untamable mammoth that had determination to ram her down from her perch. Just instead of an animal, it was Adora being the classic rash Adora that she had grown to know from their time together. 

This thought had brought on once again, another smug smirk as she stuck her tongue out, "If only you could catch me on both of those small, stubby legs and grounded body, dork!" After constantly instigating her playful irritation further, she stayed in sight below the treeline as she used all four limbs to launch herself from branch to branch. At the same time, her friend had finally almost caught up enough to be running underneath her, but nowhere near catching her unless she allowed her to. 

Running for what her lungs could have protest had been miles from branch to branch- she let herself steady among the leaves that concealed her underneath their guise. She could each muscle underneath her weight scream as the darkness beneath and ahead hide her well enough that when the other child stopped beneath her, there was nothing but confusion in their stare. Their breathing uneven as their chest heaved over and their hands connected with their knees to collect themselves. This whole dilemma must have tired not only her out but both of them as she weakly called out to her. "C-Catra, how much longer are we gonna keep going already?" her breath hitched in her throat as her eyes burned.

* * *

She felt thrilled enough to be able to resume her run with Catra, who also sometimes would disappear to run along the forest at night without her. After all, she still didn't really have that type of energy that of Catra. Staring down at the ground out of breath and suddenly self-aware, she could hear her mentors continuously remind her of the lack of abilities and the stare of her peers. 

Her throat burned from an uncomfortable intensity from both her sore muscles and the memories that pursued her during those moments left alone. They screamed and taunted at her prominent failures for someone who could not even tap into their heritage. Just what that heritage foretold, not even her elders could tell her. Still though even though there were failures that would follow her to the end of the world, she promised she would not think about them for tonight.

She understood that when others were more than willing to voice out their concerns about her presence- Catra would defend her regardless of if they were right or wrong. Just that alone though, did not lessen the feeling of feeling like she was nothing more than the burden of their batch. Had she been more sure herself about what she could do then these thoughts- these feelings would not affect her as much as they did. She wanted to go home. "Catra can we please take a moment? I think- I think I need to breathe for some time…" 

Her unsure comment earned nothing in response but the gentle hush from the bare forest around her. It had been the first time since their chase that she had even attempted to scout out her surroundings in search for her friend. Just some reason though, looking out into the darkness left her stomach feeling even more upset. Had she been so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed her friend caught up in their excitement and left her behind in the woods thinking she was still there?

That thought for some reason left an almost sour taste in her mouth as her knuckles were turning white from how taut her entire body was turning. It made her want to break down underneath the moon at how pathetic she was feeling all alone with no clue where she was. She brought up her fist to scrub at her misty eyes as some kind of resolve not to start crying for Catra to come out. "You better not be playing another one of your stupid preying pranks on me again, Catra! I've told you too many times to count that I don't like that role- can you please talk to me?" 

Her words were caught in her throat as her own condensed fears became bigger as though the silhouettes were manifesting into creatures. Had she been feeling nauseous earlier, the feeling she had been feeling then was enough to choke on as she could feel the air escaping her lips. From being both tired and afraid, she was ready to return home to their bedroom- to return to their repetitive schedule where she could know what to expect. The judgment that came with expectations that were too high to reach from others. 

Her cheeks were becoming faintly flushed as she clenched her jaw before stomping her foot onto the ground and turning around. "Catra, I'm either going to be really mad at you for pranking me or really forgiving later if you got lost in your fun. Regardless I'm going home." Her threat seemed empty, and she wasn't too hopeful of receiving some response, but when the treeline from above shook, out came Catra, pinning her down to the ground for the second time as the feline hovered over her frowning.

Her expression was that of confusion along with agitation as she dug her nails into the soil and glared back down intensely into Adora's Soul... "You know, you aren't any fun being prey anyways, Adora... You've always gotta ruin the fun by throwing a tantrum! You really should learn to loosen up, just like I said earlier!" she expressed back and lowered her tail slowly against Adora's leg, as she also began to feel like her entire face was on fire.

Hearing her friend mention her insecurities brought on another nauseating feeling to churn and boil in her stomach as from her scolding that morning to now. She could feel everything that had been piling up from the depth of her soul, tearing from the seams as she finally felt warm tears cascading down her cheeks. It had not gone unnoticed though by the feline on top of her though, as she pressed her palms against Catra's collarbone and pushed her further away. "You mention that like I have some kind of choice how I want to act! I can't be like you, Catra! Every day I have to hear everyone tell me to do better, or I'm not doing enough to cover up my lack of magic! What if I'm not normal like you and the rest! I hate that you act like I am sometimes when I don't even.." 

Her chest heaved another sob from her throat as her head dropped against the ground so she could stare off away from Catra. There was nothing but barren trees and nothing unusual enough to take her thoughts off her mind. It left nothing but her pathetic sniffles to ring in her ears as she removed her hands from her friend and clutched them to her chest. It was an accident to lose control of her emotions on her friend, who was trying to help her here. "What if everyone is right, Catra- what if there is something wrong with me? Would you still even be here by my side if there is?" This time her voice came out soft and choked up with regret for what she had said before. 

Nothing made sense anymore to her as before she could ask another question, Catra groaned and rolled off onto her side, facing away from Adora with furrowed brows. She must have been frustrated that even though she promised not to bring up this topic, she had ended up crying nonsense. Still, she could have at least said something- even if she hadn't meant it. It hurt enough to feel as though someone had taken some dagger and pierced it through her heart until she could no longer feel it. Could she not even bear to look at her with the thought she wasn't normal in mind? Adora didn't understand.

Adora wanted to get up and run off back to their home. Still, as she rolled back in an attempt to get up, she felt Catra move into an uncomfortable-looking position that enabled her nails to hook into her cloak, attempting to stop Adora from leaving before she huffed, "You're stupider than I thought you originally were.." Catra had cut through their silence as she snarled before inhaling. "Who cares what you are?" 

Hearing this made Adora somewhat even more frustrated. She rolled back onto her back before fiddling with the hem of her cloak and glaring up to the empty sky. "If I'm not the good girl who plays by the strict rules then everyone.. including me Catra— and you should-"

Their guttural laughter brought her from her thoughts once more as she leered over her shoulder to her friend beside her. It must have earned another unpleasant expression on Catra since even though her face was turned away, she could see her friend batting her tail against the dirt in harder motions. Just what did she say now that had upset her friend so much that she wouldn't even bother looking at her anymore? Everything she said was right. "When have you ever seen me play by their crappy and snobby rules, Adora? Look at us already- really look- because I suggest and do every night try to sneak out. I'll pick fights with others, and you never judge me, so why should I to you? I don't care what you could be or not. Just sheesh. When will you get that already?" 

Hearing the other speak up for the first time brought on another silent moment from them both as Adora could feel Catra balling up her cloak in her palms. It might not have been what she wanted to hear from the other child, but it was more so what she had needed to hear. Still, she appreciated the attempt to express their affection to her regardless of what that would incline. She sighed and turned over to face her friend, who was still facing away with pinned ears and soft breathing. "You're stupider for being around me.."

Her insinuation blunt from the competitive nature elicited an audible snarl. "But that means together we might be somewhat smarter together, right? Rebellious idiots as the elders would call us, huh." She murmured underneath her breath without evening pausing as she could feel Catra nestling her back closer to her stomach. It was warming and soft. 

"You know, with how training has been going for me- I'll develop my first magic skills faster than you and the others. Just make sure to hurry to not get behind me too much. Someone with some rational brains needs to be the one beside me, and you're alright for that position. Don't become someone you're not to do that though, or else I will call you really lame and be pretty made with you." 

Her guarded response had earned her first genuine smile. She began to scoot closer to Catra, wrapped her arms around her, and quickly tickled her into laughter. "A-Adora! You freaking turd, cut that out before I claw your entire face off! I take it all back! You're weird!"

Hearing others outline her prominent insecurity should have hurt more than it made her feel content at the moment. Just from reflexively avoiding punches that were thrown defenselessly in her direction, she could not feel it in her to be upset anymore. This moment here, where the pair scuffled against each other through the grass, she could be the person she always was and not the person she never was. Adora. That thought brought on waves of comfort as they played on through the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there everyone, I'm Hypnosis. This has been my first attempt at writing after like 4 years of hiatus and writers block. I'm not new around the block but for this fandom I am. She-Ra inspired me to get back into the swing of things so the first chapter might be rough but I plan to get back into the grove eventually. 
> 
> This of course will be your college au with my own fantasy twist to it because come on. Catra. She's gotta stick to her cat image. Hope you all can still tell me that you liked the first chapter as this was nothing more than a prologue to get my feet all wet. If someone wishes to keep an eye on the personal growth of this story you can follow me on my new twitter account @FreakHypnosis! I'll be keeping those who wish to see sneak peaks and talk about it updated off there. 
> 
> Regardless I had fun writing this chapter and I hope to hear your comments about it see you all in the next chapter of Forgotten Phoenix! ( WE NEED A SHE-RA MOVIE)


	2. You're Here- But Why

Shallow breathing from underneath heaps of material varying from clothing to sheets was the only source of sound across the serene bedroom. Boxes that were thrown haphazardly were kicked to their respective corners while sunlight made an attempt to leer through the cracks in their dormitories window blinds, leaving warm patches of sunlight to scatter across the floorboards. 

Toes from underneath the mess of material straightened out against the bed until the outline of the figure beneath stirred restlessly. It would be cold enough to feel like she had to burrito herself for one moment, and then the next, she felt like the heat would kill her underneath the mess. Catra groaned loudly with the blanket suppressing most of the sound before rolling onto her side to stare at the floorboard. This had now been the second time she was forced to settle with being awake this early in the morning, and like the first time- she was not pleased about it. 

This rodeo was not something she had any desire to indulge in, but fate would have another story, or so she could assume. This time unlike the first time she was rudely awoken to was all her own damn fault. She would have rathered her roommate to once more barge into her space and talk to herself about all the weird junk she had brought from home. Least then, she could complain about someone bothering her over the stomach-churning thought of her nightmare. Yeah. Nightmares-what was she again- some child trembling alone because their dreams wouldn’t leave them alone? That was ridiculous. This was ridiculous.

Just what bad omens did she commit during their road trip here to deserve such horrible luck like this? Sure there were some stray black cats that she might have snuck some treats to from her shit lunch prepared by Scorpia-woman couldn’t cook to save her life but. Other than that, could someone seriously tell her who in the heavens had she pissed off?

Her nails latched onto the shirt laid on her face before she chucked it across the bed without caution. The only good thing that made the morning more bearable was the fact that her suicidal migraine was long gone now and left her head an empty buzz. Just how she loved it. However, that left more free-range for her subconscious to repeat that familiar name that haunted her years.  _ Adora, huh? She has been the last thing I wanted to remember in this new place with new faces. Stressful enough as it is.  _ She strained her blurry mismatched eyes across the room at the other empty bed as her stomach felt knotted at her thoughts. She grimaced at the concept of vocally even saying that name, but here she was thinking about it again. Spiraling into that questioning call for her old friend. 

“Just what someone like me needed from the world was the biggest fuck you type of morning! Throw out the old scars from some stupid dream. Tell me what you have next on your agenda life because I’m running out on life support here! You gonna break my legs before first classes as some weird ‘break your legs kid’ motivation?” From the travel with some grown woman crying over her success for enrolling into Bright Moon University- to the overwhelming towers and scents that flooded her senses from human society; to say that Catra was tired was an understatement. Could life not even spare an hour for her to catch up on her precious beauty sleep for once? 

This nightmare expedition across and into unfamiliar territory had left her for the best descriptive word, looking like absolute shit. Should her roommate for the next couple of weeks ask her for there to be mirrors in their dorm, she would laugh in her face and give the most driest no she could muster. Catra gathered up whatever amount of energy she could muster up to prop herself up on her elbows to glance around the messy pigstock that was their dorm. There was already too much sunlight pouring in to the room to her dislike but before she could complain. Their front door rattled. 

Just like their morning introduction had gone- their front door was hurled open with an unnecessary amount of force until it literally embedded into the wood of the wall. If noise complaints were issued out through their dorms, then for the second time, they would be the first one the list to be called out about noise control. Not to mention the small door handle sized hole in their wall now. Stood in the middle of the door frame was her roommate, who beamed with overalls and freakishly long purple hair that held onto the handle before letting it free. 

Really here- what could she have done to deserve all this plus everything that had occurred that morning and the night before. She had not even had the brain capacity right now to even come up with her typical snide comments, but it did have the capacity to notice something furry. Whatever was bundled up in the other woman’s arms squirmed around before two beady eyes connected with hers and brought on her personalized look of disgust. Time to ignore that realization since again- it was far too damn early in the morning for all this. “Could you like for the second time this morning- not threaten to throw the door off the hinges Entrapta? Just- ugh- shut it before someone can catch some sneaky glances into our room and at me half-dressed- a bunch of animals around the damn campus as is.” 

Her reasonable complaint for the second time that moment seemed to have done the trick in earning the proper reaction from the other woman. Had the other woman truthfully forgotten that she was standing there in the open door frame or being ignorant, the world would never come to terms. Entrapta nodded her head in agreement before stumbling into their room enough to shut the door- softer this time now that her unknown destination was reached. She then, for the second time, presented the creature out in Catras direction with more aggression- not letting her play another ignorant card that screamed see no evil nor hear no evil. It existed now. That creature existed in _ their  _ dorm now. 

There was so much regret dwelling on her from not requesting to bunk with someone that was not the woman in front of her holding some unpleasant creature. That thought was pointless now though as before she could admit anything- her roommate spoke up with much enthusiasm. “Great thing that you’re done sleeping in Catra; because while you were doing that, I took the liberty of familiarizing myself with our lovely little campus to understand and investigate on how the social interaction between classes are because you know. After not doing the tradition in the last couple of years, this has been great strides for progression on the politician stance. Although I would not have assumed humans were so bold with their actions!” 

Entrapa paused to breathe for the first time before she stumbled over some boxes to get closer to Catra. “To admit that I’m flabbergasted would be an understanding because I’m thrilled beyond belief! Some humans came to ask me if I would watch over their club mascot while they went somewhere!” When mentioning what the students had told her earlier in the morning, her freakish hair rolled with quotations while she had an almost intricate expression plaster on her face. It did not last long though, as she shrugged up her shoulders without care and closed the rest of the distance between her and Catra. Her hair took the creature from her hands and forced it over to Catra until their noses were pressed against each other. It left her cross-eyed as she stared back at the creature that munched on-air and looked at her with those expressionless beady eyes—creepy _ little freak.  _

Catra shuffled on her elbows to get some space from the creature before blowing some hair out of her face with a frown. “Regardless to say Catra, I was most pleased that they would allow me to supervise their hamster and even get some closer studies on it. This would give more information on the species than the books ever could since you learn better with personal experiences. Plus, this has been a great start between you two because I think she likes you, Catra! Can’t you tell by those bubbly noises she’s making?” 

Her ears flattened against her hair as she had been doing her damn best to ignore the unpleasant noise rumbling from the creature in front of her, but now she had to acknowledge that too. It would not have been rocket science for someone to understand that her roommate was utterly over the moon for this creature even though she herself was not in the slightest. It was still too close for comfort even. She bit down onto her bottom lip thoughtfully before using the back of her palm to push those freakish hairs away from her along with the creature. She wanted to remain sane and relatively calm. From the nightmare, she had not too long ago- no to being woken up in general- had already left her feeling on edge. This was far too much for her brain to keep up with. 

That did not mean though that she would start screaming her head off that her oblivious roommate even though she truthfully wanted to do that. It might have even mentally helped her relax after her hidden skeletons decided to do some huge numbers on her mentality. “Entrapa- listen alright because I’m not going to repeat myself- from what they told you, I can be pretty positive when I say that you were probably played into taking someone’s unwanted animal off their hands. Which by the way- we are not keeping that-” 

She paused for another moment to stare over at the creature being held at bay from her hand before speaking with more conviction. “That thing in this room. Cannot do that for many reasons—the most reasonable reason being the fact that pets on the campus are a huge no for the school. Plus, as much as I am all for pissing off the big boss lady behind this lovely establishment. I like having somewhere to sleep without worrying about being robbed during my small naps, Capish? Handle that thing and pass it off again to some dummy like you who has no common knowledge.” 

Beating around the bush was not her specialty when working with others, and it had the same effect it did with others. She could feel her stomach churn more as the other woman stared back in defeat and retract her hair until the hamster was back in her arms. Entrapa, for the first time, stared off somewhere out the window like Catra had been the one to murder her entire family. It left an uncomfortable silence between them as she kneaded her nails into her blanket with confliction. 

Physical arguments were something she could handle. Mental arguments were something she could not though. The thought of spending the next four years together with someone who would cry and run out of the room because something she had said before did not settle right with her. It was not that Entrapa seemed like the type to sob over something so trivial as this argument regarding hamsters, but you could never be too sure about emotional grudges. 

Entrapa from what she understood was from the animal biology majors, which meant she did care for them more than people. “Entrapa- wait- listen before you start getting all emotional over the side of my bed, alright?! I don’t care anymore, do what you want but don’t involve me in it if you get caught. Just keep that ugly thing away from my stuff and make sure you find it a cage somewhere because you will not sleep with that thing running around. I will resign for a new roommate if you don’t.”

For being the better person, which-she was not for most problems- this temporary change of approach for situations drained her more than she cared to admit. She could feel her blood running to the ends of her ears and cheeks before throwing her hands above her head with a groan, dropping back onto her back. Entrapa without much care was beaming back in her direction as she nodded her head in silent agreement to their conditions. This was really how things were going to keep going for her first semester weren’t they? Whatever midlife crisis, she had been mentally going through was interrupted by the feeling of her roommate using her hair to press against her shoulder. “What else is there now, Entrapa! Was forcing your pet obsession on me not enough for one morning, or did you finally want to kill my will to live anymore?” 

Underneath her blanket, her tail fluffed out in agitation as she caught onto how terrible the thing she had shouted out came to be under the light. Curse her pessimistic thoughts that somehow beat her to everything else she could have complained about. Just was not her morning at all. Still, before the depressing urge to hide from her roommate came over, she stealthily snuck some glances at Entrapa who, for better words, did not heed her comment and still looked unphased. Weirdo but better than calling her out. “Your observation about Darla would be correct! She should indeed have somewhere comfortable to call home when neither of us are there for her to watch, but- I don’t have much money to travel the city of Bright Moon.” 

God damn it, of course, there was bound to be some trick to her own agreement of letting the creature remain in their dorm. This was her contract, and somehow it turned against her, not even seconds after it was made. Did Entrapa know she would give in to her actions and give her some kind of lift from the start? Catra glared at Entrapa, who stood rolling up and down on her toes without any thought before she scoffed. Just why in all of Etheria did she get roomed with someone so- 

Her thoughts were put on pause as the conversation forced her back into another loophole. Her roommate was staring at her with furrowed brows as she brought up the hamster defensively as if she understood what Catra was thinking. Entrapa tilted her head and offered her own polite smile before sheepishly sputtering out her words without breaks. “It would not be free rides, of course! I thought I could offer to pay for your portion of small ice creams at someplace I overheard some studen-” 

That would not do well for her reputation for dishing out what others had done to her, and this innocent slip up from her roommate would not go unheard. From the moment they had met, this woman had called her out on all her mixed signals, which seriously was annoying. “You mean eavesdropping on them because you like- really don’t understand personal boundaries but whatever. Keep going on about this stupid ice cream place.” Her smug comment earned another defeated expression from Entrapa as she grumbled underneath her breath before nodding and perking back up. 

“How I’ve acquired the information is trivial right now because the main point would be; we could drop downtown to explore this ice cream place together because I hear they have great small waffle bowls! Doesn’t small cute things taste so much better than bigger ones?! I cannot understand certain people who claim that bigger is the best option to go because humans still need to ration what they consume. It’s much healthier. Although we might share some similarities with animals, we don’t have to live like them where bigger means better. Well. Apart from you since you’re Uhm. Part animal. Which by the way, Catra, I’d still love to learn more about your background and how much you developed from your latter ancestors!” 

Great- another hour-long rambling about nonsense she did not consent to when telling Entrapa to continue talking. This time though, she would not allow history to repeat itself and would cut it short before her miragine decided to intervene, and she seriously knocked the girl cold. “Alright Entrapa- Entrapa, I understand the premise about everything. Small ice cream place that sells out great small waffle bowels in exchange for me driving you around town. Swap out the small parts, and you landed yourself another deal- the last deal from me for another century. Just know you will need a lot of ice cream money to get me through this weird shit mood I’m in for you bringing a literal hamster to my face at 8 in the morning.”

Had Entrapa been enthusiastic about her findings this morning- she would now be starstruck as she twirled around the boxes on the floor with her hamster. This left Catra feeling like she had sold her soul to Satan himself with her handprint as proof as she returned to staring at the ceiling above. She thoughtfully shut her eyes and exhaled in exhaustion before relaxing her taut muscles against the bed. It was going to be a really long day- the kind where she knew she’d probably need a smoke after, but there could be worse. Or so she hoped. At least these were screams of excitement she elicited and not anger.

* * *

Monotonous conversations about oncoming classes from students dressed in their Sunday morning outfits resounded through their surroundings. It could almost be seen as your average colleague campus apart from the apparent class awkwardness from humans and different magical races interacting. Both Catra and Entrapa walked side by side with her roommate occasionally panicking when the furry creature in her pockets popped up from her overall pockets. In response, it would earn some chuckles from Catra as she tucked her hands into her leather pockets that covered her white crop top underneath. She could feel her outfit brought more attention to them as the duo passed some groups occasionally. 

Their uncommon dynamic  _ should  _ turn heads when someone were to take into consideration of their appearances. It would have been more comfortable to admit that her roommate, with their loose blue overalls and a black shirt underneath, did not match her style. Rather than explain how their trip together came to be. Still, though, Catra could not deny that their attention did not leave her stomach churning with thrill for the idea of being the image of her own person. She had time to start building up her own image without her elders being the main reason people would even attempt to remember who she was. 

Here underneath the watchful system Bright Moon University had on their students, Catra would be free to become the Catra she wanted to mold. Someone who would graduate under the title of being the hope of the future with her own hands. That thought brought on another wave of content as she inhaled through her nose to intake all the various scents from humans and magical races. For the first time since she arrived on campus, it was not as unpleasant to experience, which meant she was becoming comfortable with her surroundings. She no longer wanted to throw up at the weird scent some humans produced but found it humorous. 

Her nose was feeling itchy under the ambush of artificial smells from college girls striding around without considering their surroundings. It still brought on some shudders from Catra as she for the first time since leaving their dorm looked over to her roommate. She had felt her stare glued on her for some time now but had chosen to ignore it until she got bored. Nothing about this girl beside her made sense and made her thoughts run wild much to her disapproval. Still, she would humor her now since her mood was somewhat better than it had been earlier and bite the bait laid out. “What’s up, did you finally realize how hot of a roommate you got stuck with because if that’s the case get ready for some heartbreak. You’re too short for me.” 

Insinuating a fictional romantic feeling blossoming in her roommate made Entrapa frown before she all too fervently denied whatever claim was made. Ouch. So much for building up her playboy ego on the first morning. “What- no way, Catra. Just from what I have been observing from others, you do appear to be ‘attractive’ to others, though! That would not be including from my experience. That’s not what I wanted to talk to you about, by the way! Just wanted to know what you thought we should put Darla when we find the cage we want.”

Both stared questioningly at each other before Catra knitted her brows and lowered down her ears against her hair. She could feel each knot form in her tail before she twitched it out and leaned somewhat closer to Entrapa to hiss out underneath her breath. “Why do you keep insisting that this will be our problem child together, huh? I thought I made it clear enough I don’t even wanna be around that thing and Darla? Really? That creature looks like a Darla to you?” Her confrontational question left Entrapa to clear her throat before looking down at her hamster popping out her pocket. It titled their head to the left to look concerned at her before it reignited determination in Entrapa’s stare. 

Beaming back to her direction with fervent nods, this confirmed that there would be no escape from parenting Darla for the rest of the semester with Entrapa. Sounded absolutely great. Catra brought up her sharp nails to her face to try and painfully claw her face off in retrospect of how ridiculous her roommate was. How would her friends back at the Horde institution react if they caught wind that she had some small furry child with another woman who she knew nothing about! What was the difference between her and being a single mother now! “Ugghhh, does logical or social understandings not just like- click with you, dude? Whatever I’m done with this conversation and no, I’m not co-parenting with a midget.” 

Her counterstatement went into one ear and out the next in the next moment as her roommate went onto another incessant ramble about their child. She could tune that out though and cast her lazed stare around their surroundings to look for another escape. Perhaps she could ditch this nerd and find someone worth her time building connections with, but- then she would have to deal with her complaints when she had to go to their dorm eventually. Would it be possible to find somewhere else to sleep for a couple of nights to let this breeze over when it was their second night on campus? Ideas and excuses were never her best still, either. 

Minding her surroundings without thinking much about in particular as she led her rambling roommate to her motorcycle parked in the parking lot ahead. She paused when something familiar hit her nose. That familiar natural honey scent that used to leave her feeling comfortable as a child wafted through the air as she thought about how long it had been. God, how long has it been since someone had such similar effects on her scents? Her pupils dilated as her head unconsciously jerked around in search of the source while her ears stood up at full attention at conversations around them. Where was this scent coming from- who was it coming from? It couldn’t have been her after all these years gone, right? She felt uncomfortable suddenly. 

Summer warmth enveloped her as she was becoming uncomfortably aware of how warm it was to be wearing her leather jacket. Beads of sweat were forming at her temples as she could feel her breathing become uneven, and this brought Entrapta from her own thoughts. Her roommate hesitantly tugged at the hem of her coat until she forced her attention from everywhere else and to her roommate, who stared at her with concern. “Are you okay, Catra? You’re not looking too hot right now, and I mean, I might not be well at reading others better than I can read animals, but. You look really anxious about something and acting really skittish.”

Questions from her roommate brought on another feeling of nauseous as nothing being said sounded real. It brought back memories from her nightmare where she and Adora were running through the night in fear of their elders catching them. Their promises regarding their future together that were now nothing but phantom thoughts that haunted her. It could have all been something better than whatever hell hole she had found herself in emotionally these years. These thoughts left her feeling each hair on her arms prickle up as she felt like she needed to get out there fast. Fast before whatever was emitting the scent could get closer- oh god- why would Entrapta not stop screaming and- oh. 

Her knees buckled underneath her weight as her breathing was knocked out from her lungs from another person collapsing onto her back. She could feel her stomach dragging onto the ground as the amount of force behind their tumble sent them some distance off into the grass patch. Catra could feel her muscles taut instinctively. Her panic attack and migraine were making grand entrances- reaping her soul without further hesitation until it left her breathless and face planted into the grass. 

Frustration boiled from the pit of her stomach as she wanted to turn around and shout at whatever had made her eat shit in the middle of campus, but her heart ceased upon hearing them groan. Their husky voice slithered around her neck until it strangled whatever pathetic mewl from her throat as she forced herself to shift onto her back. “Ouuch! Oh my god! I am so freaking sorry about this! I totally did not mean to crush you underneath me, but by the time I noticed how fast I was charging at you, I couldn’t stop fast enough! Friends just would not listen when I told them not to throw the stupid football this far in people’s direction!” 

Golden hair stream down onto her face beneath as her thoughts were escaping her mind with each passing moment. She could feel the warm morning air robbing her mouth of moisture as her mouth had to have been open with a protest on the tip of her tongue. This woman pinning her down to the ground had broad shoulders, and the most carefree expression as her elbows raised her off Catra. It blocked out the scorching sun beaming down over them as controlling her impulsive natural once more be fucked. She licked her chap lips and murmured for the first time in years the name that haunted her on lonely nights. “Ado-Adora?” 

Hearing her own voice in her ears left her to shudder underneath the other woman as she understood how absolutely pathetic she sounded. This current Adora was nothing she remembered her to be- the coward who would fret over her reckless behavior or hide in the dark when partners were expected to pair up. She looked more mature. More frankly, she looked hot and bolder, unlike herself at that moment. Because yeah, she did look somewhat hot herself, but; that did not cover up the bags underneath her eyes from her erratic sleep schedule. This woman here though, who she had not seen in years looked as healthy as possible- maybe even healthier and fuller than she remembered. 

Reality doubled through her conscience as Adora tilted her head down in confusion when hearing what she believed to be another stranger call out her name.  _ Real smooth Catra! Just completely show our cards by showing her two seconds into literally getting ran into by her how desperate you have been to hear from her again.  _ That expression remained on Adora’s face until she recognized who she had rammed down, and disbelief danced across those beautiful- stupid blue eyes of hers. It lasted not long though before it smoothened out into her most neutral expression possible. 

When did she learn to cover up her emotions to the point Catra couldn’t ever tell what she was thinking? God, this was all too much to be literally smashed into so early in the morning, and the dream from earlier did not let her breathe for another moment. She wanted nothing more to scream her head off at the feeling of her migraine back and her earlier agitation catching up to the moment. This was not going to happen. She would not let this play out further since, for once this week- she needed some form of control over her life. Her palms pressed against Adora’s shoulders and pushed her off her before clawing up to her feet to tower over Adora with a glare.

Her pastel pink T-shirt hugged her slender figure while sliding off from her shoulder from their scuffle against the ground. She looked really good in light colors. Although from her complex expression the creases on her forehead made her look weird. She must have not anticipated her to be thrown off after recognizing who she had run into or something else. It still left Catra feeling sickened though as her nails dug into her palms hard enough to keep her mind grounded. Questions were running wild through her head- some innocent white others couldn’t keep off how smooth her skin looked. God what was she becoming? 

Here she was presented with the perfect opportunity to run off from the person who had haunted her for endless nights alone- but here she was- stood grounded over Adora not making any movements. Had her anger bolted her feet down to the ground or not was the most reasonable explanation. She could also use this advantage to get the answers to the questions that had been left in the darkness for years.  She was unsure what to do but leave it to her impulsiveness nature to decide. “Catra? Why are you- How did you get here. This is..” 

Catra could feel her throat tighten at the mess of Adora’s questions before she crossed her arms across her chest with another frown. There might not have been menacing meaning behind her question, but the insinuation still hurt none the less- she rightfully earned her place here in Bright Moon University and who was the woman who abandoned her to ask her why she was there? It should have been the other way around, if anything. “Yeah, that’s me. The same one from the institution you ditched. Glad you can remember that much as least after you forgot everything else we use to say- ugh nevermind. Plus, princess, you got the question backward. Why are you here- ramming into me and shit when I’m trying to live a nice life? Couldn’t destroy it once but had to make sure it stuck?” 

Had she purposely coated her words with poisonous or not did not matter much as it earned an almost satisfying cringe from Adora as her figure slumped against the ground behind. Adora opened her mouth as though she wanted to protest but made the right choice by closing her mouth and remaining tense under her looming shadow. It would not be enough to soothe her anger though, as the entire week had already been the biggest shit fest in her life. Just who in their right mind would assume Catra would take this assumption that she would face her childhood trauma too without much fight? That was so not her style for these things. “I’m sorry that was not what I meant Catra- I’m just surprised to see you here in the city for the uhm. Tradition where humans and magical classes gather because I know you never really... Liked them or cities..”

Adora sounded unsure of her own words as her free hand, not propping up her body, rubbing the back of her neck in an uncomfortable motion. She looked utterly flustered to have instigated such an event, but there was no way in hell would she leave without hearing what Catra had to say. She would let everything else slide, but this encounter left some bitter taste in her mouth as she scoffed in annoyance with the pitiful woman before her. “Yeah, whatever things change, Adora. It doesn’t concern you what I’m doing here, and as far it concerns me, I don’t care much as to why you’re here actually.” This was far from the truth, but she would not let the person who  _ abandoned _ her know that- or anyone for that case.

This would be her first and final chance to throw her tantrum- to have the person who caused her emotional distress and problems trusting others hear how much she had hurt her. She deserved that much after all the years everyone told her to forget it and let it roll off since she was their prodigy, and useless people were trivial like Adora. Adora was not something trivial though- even now after years apart. Her anger was pushed aside before it could bubble over though as two figures came rushing in their direction, screaming nonsense. Great. Make this migraine kill her off already.

One smaller girl with cotton candy light hair launched herself onto Adora, who, in return, groaned as their hands grabbed her face to inspect for damage control. Meanwhile, the more quiet man with tan skin stood beside them, inspecting from above while crossing his arms and glaring back and forth between the pairs. “Adora-oh, my god- Adora, are you okay? We are so freakin so-” Their silent spectator cleared his throat with silent glares that seemed to whip the other girl into shape as she groaned. “Alright fine, I might have gotten too excited trying to throw the ball, but you cannot blame me! This is our first time going to college together- not that there will be multiple ones. That’s too tiring!” 

After breathing out her sentence in one go, she turned to look at her other friend for approval before smiling innocently at him. It seemed to press the right buttons with him before he sighed and reached out both his hands to offer to them for assistance. They both gratefully took his offer and rose back to their feet without another complaint. “Glimmer calm down, we’re not even really that mad at you because that was really cool actually! Aside from leaving Adora to scramble after it and ram someone down- which by the way- sorry, but did you have to push Adora off you that hard? She might look tough, but she’s easy to bruise.” Bow turned to look back at Catra with an accusing stare that made her hiss underneath her breath.

Glimmer once more was not afraid to show their intimacy with one another by grabbing Adora by her jawline and turning both their heads to Catra. Catra could see the guilt in her expression when their eyes connected, but as for the others- she did not care who the idiots were. These idiots had taken her place beside Adora as her new friends who were from what she could see- close. Glimmer either ignored their quiet argument or was oblivious to it and nodded her head in response to Bow. “Very pale people are easy to leave marks on, you know! Just one slap on this bad boy and boom,” Glimmer slapped her palm against the exposed skin on Adora’s shoulder and earned a whine from her as she tried to pull from the hand. “Imprint made now see! I could show you again if you didn’t get a good view!”

Before more chaos could ensue from her friends or worse- more slapping to prove their insane points. Adora straightened herself out enough to shimmy from her friend, who had left the now noticeable hand-print on her shoulder. “I’m not that pale really Glimmer; you’re almost the same skin tone as me if not a little darker, alright? Can you guys just- give me some space for a moment with- Catra..” Hearing her name being called out with such hesitation brought Catra back in their conversation as she quirked her brow up in frustration. It would have been better to ignore them all and run off since, after all- neither had nothing but rough patches left to talk about. Catra wasn’t too sure if she was mentally prepared for that now, but Adora did not let up.

Adora remained some distance from her, but it was clear she wanted nothing more than to close their gap more. Instead, she stood tall and motionless as though approaching some lost kitten as she bit her lip and pleaded with her through their stare-off. Guilt must have been tearing at the seams for Adora as she chewed onto her bottom lip without thinking until some blood dribbled down her chin. Some things never did change with her though, right? There were still some things that she could recognize- but she hated that it was once more nothing more than her cowardice behavior. 

From their first time meeting until the last meeting, nothing fundamental about their relationship had changed much. Catra had defended her friend when the world stood against them and, in the end, got nothing in return for all her struggles. Just listening and watching from the sidelines where this current Adora had more together when with others- others who had replaced her over the years- It hurt. It stabbed her more profound than the day she had even left and torn open new wounds. If getting what she wanted off her chest hurt this bad, then she wanted nothing to do with it further. “You want to know what I think about that advice? Nothing because, to be frank, I don’t care how delicate your little friend is. Not my problem. Just make sure you look next time before throwing the bone in the direction of traffic. Because next time who knows what else could come speeding at it without stopping.”

Her mouth and throat became narrow as her old best friend flinched before unconsciously stumbling back to where her new friends stood defensively. She might have threatened to break Adora down if she were to cross her path again in the same manner, but- It still hurt to see her natural reaction. This should not have been shocking or hurt as much. Adora would never stand up for what she wanted and had others fight her battles. This battle was against her though. Catra wanted nothing more than to return to her dorm- lock the doors and tear the blinds to shreds and draw until she could forget the world existed.

She would either die from this fucking headache or her heart being torn to shreds. Neither sounded appealing, but thankfully she would not have to choose this early in her life as Entrapta tugged at her sleeve in confusion. She had forgotten the primary purpose for this outing, but when her roommate snuck up on her during her desolate thoughts baffled her as much as the others. Catra, for the first time in the past couple of minutes, looked down at her roommate, who stared back then at the parking lot urgingly. It brought on an exhausting sigh from her throat as she knew there would be no time for drowning in her pitiful anger. “Good catching up- let’s hope this shitty scene of us meeting never happens again. Ciao.”

Without another second to spare for her old best friend to muster up another surge of courage- Catra grabbed Entraptas hand with her nails extended out to dig into flesh and pull her towards her motorcycle. She could hear roommate protest against her hand, but all she could focus on was the daggers being bore into the back of her head from Adora. Thus for that reason- she could neither care nor bother really listening to Entrapta, who had been the reason for their unplanned encounter. She could really use that icecream place now to drown in her thoughts. This had neither been what someone could call winning or losing. It was nothing but an empty void of emotions. She hated this- she thought she hated Adora- but more importantly- she knew she hated self for such weakness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello folks, Hypnosis here once again with another chapter that I managed to get done really freaking fast gosh. Love Catra’s POV because she’s so fun to write about. The next section is even already complete, but I’m going to hold that one out until next week to redo some parts and make it better. Just know I have no beta readers, and I do this whenever I have the free time with work. Plus, still getting into that writing groove and learning how to write their personalities in my style, which is interesting, to say the least. If someone wants to beta, I’m completely happy to invite them to the docs for faster updates and help.
> 
> Not much to say about this chapter besides, I hope you all liked it. Next time we will go onto Adora’s POV then switch back. That’s how I think I might do the chapters. Not sure yet. Don’t forget to leave kudos or comments! I’ll see you all in the next section of Forgotten Phoenix!  
> Twitter: @FreakHypnosis  
> (WE NEED SHE-RA MOVIE)


	3. Forget Me Not

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora needs comfort and her reality triple checked by her best friends- but she can't forget.

Humiliation from earlier that morning tormented Adora through her thoughts as she sat in silence across from her best friends. She had undoubtedly messed up their first encounter together after however many years It had been since she had last seen Catra. That might have been even an understatement for how bad she had messed things up for the second time in her life with Catra. It left her feeling vexed for the remainder of their morning together to the point their group decided to pause their trip to the west side of the campus to chill at the cafeteria picnic area. She wanted to appreciate the moment with her best friends, but- she could barely focus on either of them as they idly chatted with each other- without her. 

That made her somewhat more upset but not to the point where she dwelled on it for too much time. She understood that this was their attempt at letting her have her space to sort through her thoughts. Their conversation was light-hearted about their majors for school, while her thoughts were nothing pleasant as for every second that passed. Her thoughts doubled over each other at the thought of Catra. Catra- the girl who, when the world stood against her, was her front line of protection and reassurance that she was not expected to be perfect. Time did not phase that yearning spell for her presence well, as looking at herself from a third-person perspective, she would be the most hopeless case. 

She should have been thrilled that after years of being separated from her original best friend- she had appeared before her looking well and making something great of herself. That would have been more ideal. Although ideals did not happen to like appearing around her because here she was- thinking about those mismatched eyes glaring straight into her soul like when she had first left the institution. Had Catra held onto that grudge even till they were now much older while she carried the burden without stopping to question what really happened between them? What  _ had _ happened was neither of their faults as their lives were nothing more than puppets to their elders that somehow spiraled out of control. 

Just what compelled Catra to hold so dearly onto that grudge enough to push her like that? It did neither of them much good for the long run after all. Both now knew the other existed on the campus somewhere and were bound to reconnect again, and then what? More sparks of anger from both sides? God, she did not want another episode like this morning to repeat ever. Still though, even with all her thoughts sounding logical, her own sense of betrayal and anger would not remain sealed underneath it. Catra could hurt too, but it was not fair how the blame was pinned all on her when she had tried to spend their last days together in the institution- only to be ignored and pushed out of her life. 

She could feel that familiar numbing sensation running along her arms as she thought back to those uncomfortable nights in which she laid alone hysterical. Her comfort for those nights had been when Catra would sneak to her bunk from across the room and huddle up beside her for warmth. That would no longer happen anymore though, and that much even young Adora painfully understood. She had been scared to be alone- scared to be left behind in that immeasurable amount of darkness that devoured their bedroom. Her pleads had fallen on deaf ears from everyone as she would forever be nothing more than the child holding their batch from progress. 

Her best friend had even had long since begun treating her as though she had already left and was moving onto bigger and better things. It must have been relief for her to hear that she would be withdrawn from the institution was all she could think back then. Just one thing never could click into place for her though- the single question that haunted her for months after being pulled from her old home. Had those promises for their future together meant nothing to Catra- and if so- why had she been so adamant about making her believe they were going to be true until their end? She never even got to explain the reasons behind her leaving entirely, but none of that mattered now did it?

God, when had she become such an emotional child again?

Adora could feel her muscles taut as she lowered her shoulders before sliding her face from her palm, down to slam onto the wood of the picnic table beneath. Chatter from inside the cafeteria that they were sat outside near the windows were all coming out in blurs and making her frustrated. Her actions hadn’t gone unnoticed though from her friends though, as Glimmer was the first to take action against the unhealthy coping mechanism of pain. For one moment, she was sat beside Bow before the next; she materialized beside her with one hand on her shoulder and the other supporting Adora’s head up. 

Glimmer forced Adora to cast her tired stare up at her before frowning. Just like they said, the ‘mother like daughter’ traits really did carry down generations. She offered Glimmer her weakest smile before feeling it falter as that intense stare in return told her all she needed. She would either be scolded or comforted and either did not sound so bad at that moment. She felt out of control of her own emotions for christ's sake. She wanted someone to rescue from herself before she lost it all. “Hey there, love, you know how I feel about you taking out your frustration on yourself like this. It’s not healthy, and you’re not looking too hot. You have to set examples for the next honor student girl. Plus, if you smash your pretty little face anymore, you might leave more reddish bruises aside from your shoulder.” 

Hearing her motherly tone made her want to choke up on some sobs she had been holding back, but she remained resilient. This would not be the time nor place for mental break downs. This gentle banter from her friend, reminding her how much of a walking hot meal she was, did though make her chest feel lighter. She could finally breathe as she nestled her head against Glimmer's hand that caressed her cheek with concern. “Something hasn’t been right with you since this morning love- are you okay? We took a detour, but we told everyone we were going to be late, so if you wanna talk about it... I mean, we can kinda assume it was that..” 

Glimmer had some sort of stern expression on her face that made Adora scrunch up in return as she pulled somewhat away from the warm hand. “Please don’t say anything harsh about her right now, Glimmer.” Her soft plead softened up Glimmer as Bow himself leaned forward on the table with his elbows to nod his head in agreement with her. It would be too early to throw out such toxic words that would most likely take hit at her if they were said. Catra had been such a sensitive topic for ages, but now? Glimmer reluctantly groaned underneath her breath before pushing some of her loose hair behind her ear and retracting her hand to comb through her hair in frustration. 

Each pink lock of hair like nothing had been ruffled though it went back to their perfect position on her head before she stared back down at her. “Alright fine, that  _ person _ , you know? Clearly, you both know each other, but they reacted like the biggest douche on the earth, okay?! Plus that name you called them Adora- was that really _ her _ ? Or do you, by some great chance, know multiple Catras? That person did not sound or act like the girl you use to described and let me at least say that much for now as some relief.” Glimmer lowered her voice dangerously as she gritted her teeth when seeing Adora hesitantly shaking, then nodding her head. 

Adora slumped against the wood that was prodding her stomach from the picnic table before exhaling through her nose. She closed her eyes to tune out everything but her friends as she collected her thoughts with more care about how she would approach this topic. This was not how she had expected them to discuss the history behind her and Catra, but over the years she had known them. Not once did they force something out of her about her past or who she used to be. Her friends had only gotten snippets of their history, and it would be tricky to explain without them having experienced the institution themselves. But just like those times though they were patient and quiet to listen to her. 

Her mind was pulled from the clutter of her thoughts as his warm hand reached out to touch the edge of her elbow reassuringly. She really loved their dynamic of handling her mental breakdowns. Bow tilted his head to the side with concern furrowing his brows before he spoke up and broke their silence. “Adora, like Glimmer said- if you don’t want to talk about it. We can wait for you until you’re ready, but if things like this happened more than once. I think we should know eventually so we can help you out and not be lost like this.” 

Bow paused to debate if he should continue, but it must have been something he needed off his chest as he breathed once before proceeding. “It’s been about a couple of hours that you’ve been holding onto this depressive vibe, and it’s totally not you. We just are concerned as friends is all. You are our top priority, and it’s just- Catra was not what we were expecting after all the stories you told. It must have been hard for you too but how could we be happy about her when it got you like this?” 

His genuine question that had no menace underneath his meaning, such as their hot-tempered friend Glimmer- left Adora confounded as her words would not be enough to protect Catra against the truth. She had no purpose of acting out like that towards her in public rather than somewhere private. “You might have a point Bow- but- I still don’t know If I’m ready right now to talk about her anymore.” Glimmer and Bow exchanged unsure looks with one another before the topic was brought to the closure she needed for that evening. 

Hoping to make things better among their uncomfortable silence, Glimmer shook her head before rising up from her seat with her fist clenched tight. She stumbled back off from her bench and held her hands behind her back as she smiled at her best friends. “You know what? Bow is right though Adora- because what good friends would we be if we can’t even be there for you when you clearly need us to be there? So what if this current Catra decided to be mean and stuff- This is our first college experience, and it’s one of the biggest events. You didn’t deserve any of that sass she gave, and we should be out here having fun for ourselves! Tonight, after all, is where it counts for today!”

God, their whole reason for venturing out their dorm that morning, had been to meet with their friends who were equally as enthusiastic about the event that night. She had been in such high spirits before the unexpected had chosen to smack her right in her forehead. Thinking more on their combined efforts over the last night gathering material for their wall scale poster for their school spirit made Adora smile. This event tonight would be an opportunity for classes to really get knee-deep in socializing over what every young adult did best. Rally up the opening band players who had been there a couple of weeks before them for practice on the welcoming.

Adora had to admit that this introduction idea from the principle of Bright Moon University- Aka Glimmers' cool mom- was really fun to entertain with her friends. There would be more convenient times to contemplate about the incident from earlier that morning but not another chance to celebrate this event with her current friends. Adora brought up her soft gaze from her forearms and at her friend in the distance dancing and twirling with excitement. Gosh darn it- when had she let herself let Catra- knowing she was stubborn, hold her back and drag her friends down to detour for her sake. Her guilt turned to more realistic problems than her past as she responded to Bow’s earlier comment. “She has changed more than I thought, she would, I guess. I mean everyone does that regardless of if our own time felt frozen, but- I have been growing on my own too without her as well.”

Bow had that childish gleam return to his expression as he interrupted her with encouraging reassurance. “That you have Adora- you have grown from withdrawn little Adora into the brand smoking new hot rambunctious Adora who needs no man nor woman. No judgment from us. It’s 2020.” He shrugged his shoulders without care at the look she shot at him before rolling her eyes with a snort.

This would build on their memories together as best friends, and she would not let such ridiculous matters or dumb resentment hold them back from that. It would have never been the same had she not met them when she was first introduced to the human world from her caretaker-her adoptive mother. Both had cherished her even though when she was younger; she was much slower with growth and puberty than the others- they never once thought of her differently. It was why she had to show she cherished them too when moments like these came through- she would be keen for Glimmer and Bow. If Glimmer wanted this rally to go out in history- she would do her hardest to be there and help. Fearful past or not holding her down. “I promise to explain things another time about us since now that you’ve seen her, and this might not be the last meeting like you said, guys.”

She faltered for another moment at the thought of the future but strengthened her resolve once more to be honest- just not now on their important evening. “You both deserve to know about my history with magic- because that ties into my history with Catra. If you can hold out until a little longer because she might be weird if she crosses us again, I need you two to understand some things about her for everyone’s sake. But what I’m trying to really say here is- thank you guys for being patient with me-- I know I’m hard to crack but... Thank you... Really.”

Her throat burned from bile forming in the back of her throat from holding back her tears for so much time that morning. It would solve nothing to start sobbing in the middle of the outside cafeteria, but her friends seemed to think differently than her. Their soft hiccups were drawling out through the silence as Glimmer was the first to rush over and throw her arms around her neck to hug her tight. It was wretched sounding, but their smiles towards her said otherwise. Glimmer violently nodded her head into her shoulders as she clung to her neck like some kind of bear. “You’re really dumb, Adora- of course, we are here for you every step of the way no matter how long it takes for you to make it there; even if those paths might have cats underneath beds threatening to claw our ankles raw for unknown reasons because- ugh I don’t know! Evil creatures with unknown wants and needs, God!”

Her tantrum about her dislike against the small creatures made Adora chuckle as she wrapped her arms around Glimmer to hug her back equally as hard. It, of course, did not go under her radar though when from her side, she could hear Bow whimpering and clenching his fist at his chest with wet eyes. God such an emotional group of friends they really were at the end of the day, but- she loved that she could be honest with them like this. She removed one arm from Glimmer suggestively and nodded to Bow with a smile. That finally set the fireworks off for him as he stood up and ran around the table to throw himself into their tight fit hug. “Glimmer is right, Adora! Not about the Cats thing because they’re so adorable for their mysterious actions, but we are more than okay with waiting. Tonight and today though, we will dedicate it to making sure this rally makes up for everything that happened this morning, alright?”

His incessant sniffling made Adora concerned whether the warm wet spots on her shirt were snot or tears from him but did not interrupt their moment. Instead, she stared up among the clouds floating over the campus, occasionally obscuring the sun before returning and beaming brighter than before. It would be alright to let it all out now, wouldn’t it? Her friends were here crying for her sake without worrying if others thought they were weak so-could she lose this battle? Tears streamed down her cheeks as she gritted her teeth in slight frustration at how good it felt to cry after fighting against it all morning after Catra- no. Forget it. Her friends were here with her, and that was all she needed.

When enough time had passed enough to where she could speak without constantly choking up on her sob that wracked through her chest. She could hear the tension leaving her tone that had stuck all morning and felt content once more. “I agree with what Bow said, but I’m biased- Cats have been my favorite animal since I was younger. Wait. God, how many times are we going to repeat this same argument with each other guys!” Adora casted her glare down to her friends playfully in which they merely smiled in response- their faces messy and flustered. She was sure she looked like a hot mess too though. She carefully maneuvered her hand underneath Glimmer to clean her own face and smile in embarrassment. “You guys better not mention this to any of our other friends because you both know that will either lead to another cry fest or playful mocking.”

Both of them understood and agreed with her request but not before rubbing their faces harder against Adora to clean their faces- holding her in place between them as Adora groaned playfully and pushed against the top of their heads in disgust. “Promise made, but now you have to make up for making us look all depressing and the work we did to look stunning out the window!” Glimmer shouted as she knew Adora was not much of the fan for snot or stuff wiped on her.

“There will be blood- or well in our case- tear and snot to mark our point! You should have thought about that before you got all mushy on us, Adora, we can’t handle our overwhelming feelings of love for you! Platonically, of course!” Bow exclaimed dramatically as he could feel Adora twisting her fist on his head to mess up his hair, but that did not stop him from laughing.

This was where she belonged- among her one magical class friend who had grown up among other humans and her human friend and the others. She could appreciate the memories Catra had let her experience together, but she could not let them destroy what she had built her on her own. That was for sure. “God- what am I going to do with you guys- wait- hey! Stop that! It is really unsanitary and disgusting! Bow, I swear I will throw you like Glimmer did this morning if you keep trying to add tickling into the mix here!” The group could have kept playing around until sunset, but something from Glimmers pocket interrupted their fun as it vibrated repeatedly, but Adora could tell Glimmer was ignoring it for her sake. “Glimmer answer the phone- we’re all good- I’m all good now, so go ahead, It might be from our friends after all since we are really late.”

Glimmer removed herself from Adora somewhat to stare at her questionably before nodding her head and fishing out her phone from her pocket- her reaction lightening up once more as she read the caller ID. “It’s from Mermista- she called about uhm- four times, which is kind of concerning since she doesn’t like spamming other people with calls, you guys. Listen up! This is important, so everyone look really strong and totally like we didn’t just finish crying our eyeballs out, alright- especially you Bow! Toughen up, champ!” Glimmer cleared her throat and straightened out her clothing as she stared at the two still clinging to each other before rolling her eyes.

Adora removed herself from the comfortable hug she had with Bow, who whined at the lack of their group hug before crossing his arms. His expression was smug that stated without words that he understood what Glimmer really wanted them to look suitable for but didn't speak about it. He would, though- instigate something else with Glimmer, who was stumbling over to in front of them. “Bet you 10$ right now that she will comment on how crappy we look no matter how hard we clean our faces on Adora.” Both Adora and Glimmer gave an offended gasp, but other than that, Glimmer brushed off his comment- some kind of silent statement that she was above his childish remarks and pressed the answer call button. Mermista’s screen popped up with black, but before their screen and sound cut on- Glimmer did mumble something.

“5$ only because with her, you’re either on the dot or completely wrong about her next line Bow- I can’t keep up with you anymore, thinking you can guess what everyone will say next.” Had neither of them been listening closely, they would have missed completely what Glimmer had mumbled but to their delight- they had heard and were doing their best not to burst out laughing at her whining. Glimmer could do nothing but grit her teeth and force herself to smile as the camera turned on, and the image of Mermista staring intensely at them popped up- her face close to the camera.

Before someone could even attempt at greeting their friend on the other end of the line- Mermista cut them off with her finger to her lips and a frown and spoke out in boredom. _ “First off before you three start like totally screaming my name- which for some occasions is acceptable- will someone explain to me why you all look like hot shit right now? We have been waiting for hours here, and you three look like you just got out of a depressive episode with like, ice cream, and stuff. Which you guys normally look tired but- this is really looking terrible and- did someone punch Adora? Who the hell do I need to beat some damn sense into because she’s not some jock with the high durability!” ” _

Their protective friend had been jumping to conclusions- which were not too far off but where she got those conclusions- She could not have been sure. She understood that she did appear beat up from her scuffle against the ground, but other than that, there was nothing different- or so she thought. She glanced down to her arms and noticed where the grass had bruised her skin- then she looked to the bruise on her shoulder and knitted her brows. Okay so maybe she was more beat up than she thought. Still though, underneath the perceptive stare of Mermista- she felt uncomfortably vulnerable and itched her elbow unconsciously as she shrugged. “Nobody punched me so you can mark that out for now. Just had been playing toss the ball as we made our way over with these two goofballs and things might have gotten-”

Before she could clarify further, she could feel Glimmer force her hand to her mouth to shut her up with pleading eyes as she nervously laughed. Her cheeks were noticeably flustered at the close mention to her excitement, leading to Adora taking quite the tumble earlier. “Nothing bad like that happened- Adora just got too ahead of herself in her abilities to catch things and tripped when we were passing by some football students! Which by the way, is everyone there right now waiting for us? We had to make this pit stop to make sure Adora was alright after tripping that hard, you know? Don’t need some weird concussion a couple of hours before rally!”

Leave it to Glimmer to turn the not so embarrassing truth into something much cooler than it had actually been to impress her crush with her kindness for caring for Adora. It did earn her some nods of acknowledgment from Mermista, but her knitted brows and intense stare did not ease up as she looked to Bow for confirmation. He would be their lighthouse in the darkest of the unknown but their neutral defense in moments like this. His hands rose up defensively as he shrugged his shoulder and zipped his mouth shut and tossed the key out.

Glimmer groaned as her shoulders slumped and her hand against her mouth released from the position before she smiled innocently at Mermista. She batted her eyes to add to her innocent plead to be forgiven for what she was about to do. “You know what, never mind, I’m sure everyone is already there, so we will see you guys in 15 minutes top! Totally all fine over here without the roughhousing included! You’re greaaat! Tell everyone to get the party started since late means fashion for us, you know!” Glimmer did her best wink at that camera as before Mermista could go on another tangent about their appearances or something and- ended the call. 

Without explaining what had happened during the phone call that had become incredibly uncomfortable before she had hung up- Glimmer pocketed her phone with force and brought both hands to her face. She said nothing more to neither of them but from the crimson color painted on her ears- both understood she was absolutely flustered about the phone call too. Just who here was more pitiful with handling their relationships with others that they had known since their childhood. “That went better than expected at least Glimmer, but- I don’t understand what we were covering up when explaining what happened to me. Just some tussle from tossing the ball would have been alright to admit.” 

Glimmer did nothing to respond to her but raise one finger over her shoulder to let them know she was about to burst. That was not the best sign for the group after all that had happened so far that morning, but before the inevitable happened. Glimmer stomped her foot on the ground and spun around on her feet to stare at Adora. Glimmer clearly wanted to protest about something but decided to save some dignity and settle for puffing out her flustered cheeks. “You know Adora- that would have been nice, but what happened this morning was really not what she defines as ‘cool,’ and I’ve been working really hard to make her see me differently for years. Gosh! What if she thinks I’m even lamer now though after that pathetic excuse! Ughh, why is being appealing so hard!” 

Bow must have been feeling merciful even though Glimmer had thrown them both under the bus in the moment of panic. He made the short walk over to her and patted her on the back, reassuring her that she was still cool in their book and that she was exaggerating. It seems to have calmed her down enough to let him push her in the direction where their friends were waiting- turning around over his shoulder enough to shoot her out his thumb that said everything was clear to follow. 

Her heart that had been feeling desolate after her unpleasant encounter that morning was starting to brim with warmth once more at the sight of her friends leading the path. She could count on them even when nothing made sense to them. Her scattered pieces that Catra had thrown on the floor were not going to leave her this time to pick them up one piece at a time alone, but. There would still be pieces that she would not let anyone but the person who had caused their connections to be severed be retrieved. Would she really be able to survive this first semester with her cards all folded out and her head swirling back to Catra? 

Images from when those mismatched irises leered at her soul with so much hurt that it left her speechless and weak to her knees. It might not have been their ideal reunion, but some reason- with their tension and unsaid complications- She somewhere in her heart hoped that they would see each other again for god knows that reason. Just to see her childhood friend again- to see how much had changed about her since they were now young adults or maybe- she wanted to rekindle her friendship with her childhood friend again for real this time. That would have to be for another time though, since for tonight- she had to focus on her current friends who  _ did  _ want her around. Not focus on the past that she could never, no matter whatever forget.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there guys, Hypnosis here with another chapter that I did not know I had been withholding for this long. I thought I had released a chapter not too long ago, but the site says I didn’t, so oh well, if it’s wrong who cares. Chapter three is here because I already have the next two chapters ready! Been pretty busy and getting things done for my first fic for the past couple of years. 
> 
> Nothing much else to say beside enjoy the chapter and like always- shameless promotion because I’m not getting younger.   
> Twitter: FreakHypnosis


	4. Seeking Your Company

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra wants to forget but she also doesn't want to- she wants company just like any other other person. That exact company she wants though? She'd never admit that out-loud it was Adora and thankfully, she doesn't have to.

Incessant emails and notifications from her phone buzzed softly against her palm- nothing but spam that her friends from Horde Institution had prank signed her up before she left. That plus the occasional notification from Scorpia who had been sending message after message last night about how proud she was of her. Nothing that interesting enough though to pull her attention far from her thoughts that threatened to break her. It was not like she had been that popular when social media sites had offered nothing to her surprise, leaving her to stare dreary at her phone and occasionally over to Entrapa- who would indulge in her mini waffle cone while cooing underneath her breath to her hamster. 

She should probably check her messages from Scorpia that morning- that woman would turn impatient and concerned if she ignored her long enough. It did not sound appealing to have her guardian bust through the parlor doors, searching for her-making another scene with her involved. Not what she needed on her second day on campus. Her thumb sifted through her messages until the chatroom with her guardian came up on her screen. 

**Scorpia:** _ Hey there, kiddo! Just got the tour around the school done with the principle! Charming place, and I’m still really surprised I could manage to get onto their teaching board, but I’m thankful we still get to stick together! How’s your morning going?  _ **Sent at 11:10**

**Catra:** _ Shit like expected- nothing but stuck up runts who clearly are looking to screw each other for some weird rebellious phase. Got dragged out to some places with that weird roommate you met last night.  _ **12:00**

Catra thoughtfully tapped at the screen on her phone, her elbows propping her upper torso up as she waited for a couple of minutes for Scorpia to respond. She might have sent that message to her much earlier than she had responded, but- that woman would never leave her waiting as long as she could leave her unanswered. Just like she had predicted, 5 minutes later, three small dots appeared across the screen, and her message showed it was read. She must have not still had some life other than towering over her shoulder like she cherished her more than life itself- but whatever- she could use the distractions from her pressing thoughts. 

**Scorpia:** _ Cheer up, Wild cat, everyone is excited about this! You should be celebrating too with them- not doing other things I wouldn't condemn so early- but enjoying yourself! At least you’re hanging out with someone on your second day; I’d say that’s progress in friendships! _ **_12: 05_ **

**Catra:** _ Excuse me for being too drained for all that bullshit. Who’s fault do you think it is that I barely got some sleep, okay? Plus, All these kids are not my type, so no worries or whatnot. Just ready for bedtime though. Already too much ‘excitement.” for one century.  _ **12:10**

**Scorpia:** _ Lol! Wild Cat, you have got to relax! Just be safe, and don’t forget to be there tonight for the Rally the kids and principle are holding- I’ll be saving you a spot beside me, and you can bring your new friend too! Love her spirit and stuff!  _ **_12:_ ** **15**

Catra forced her attention from the message that stared back at her challengingly before setting her phone face down on the table. It had completely escaped her mind that she had begrudgingly agreed on accompanying Scorpia out that night for the Rally. It would make her seem like an asshole if she tried to worm her way out of her promise- or well- she had not promised to say precisely, but- she did admit she would go with her. She could feel her canines baring down onto her bottom lip as groans clawed at her throat for release, and she threw her head back against the leather seat. She really did not think college before it even started could be such a pain in the ass.

From her earlier dilemma, she had been absolutely drained to the point that not even overpriced oreo ice cream that sat in front of her could replenish her strength. She had, of course, still scarfed down what she could before her stomach could protest against the milky sweetness, but- nothing eased the thoughts that crashed over her head. She really wanted nothing more than to curl up in the darkness and sleep until classes started Monday morning. Would her companions let her do that though? Of course not! They must have really wanted to finish off her sanity before the pressing meltdowns from overdue assignments and exams could even start!

Catra knitted her brows together in frustration before throwing her head from the leather seat behind her to stare at her roommate across the table. Entrapa had been in her own private world while feeding small pieces of her mini waffle bowl to her hamster before Catra had cleared her throat. It had seemed to do the trick. Her roommate hesitated for a moment before moderately lifting her attention from the hungry creature and over to Catra, her stare quizzical and uncomfortable. Likewise, though- this had made Catra shift uncomfortably in her seat as neither had said much after the whole incident from that morning.

She could see more defined marks left on her wrist from when she had dragged her from the scene earlier and felt guilt knocking the air from her lungs. That had not been the end of her meltdown though, as she could tell how messed up Entrapa’s hair had been from her speedy reckless driving through traffic as well. Entrapa had, of course, smoothened out her hair to her best abilities, but she still looked like some train whipped past her.

Her fingernails sheathed back as her hand anxiously tapped down against the laminated wood beneath. She had been the one to initiate the conversation, but from the moment they had made eye contact- her confidence began to dwindle out. Catra forced herself to stare over to the window that bathed in city life- people from every class or race chatting and wandering about with such freedom. Great. That did nothing to help her confidence return, but she had to keep doing her best even if she sucked at this. That final thought did not make her feel less uncomfortable, as she might as well have been confessing romantic attraction to her roommate- because that would be easier than being apologetic and honest.

What could have been the best attempt at expressing her indirect apology than listening to Scopria for once and inviting Entrapa with them to some Rally she didn’t give two shits for. “So.” She drew out her word- her tone coming out nonchalant even though her emotions were barreling through hoops like some circus act. She felt on display, to be honest here. “You got anything else planned for tonight- I mean aside from what most likely every student here will be stumbling over like idiots?”

_ Great Catra- that sounded really stupid _ ! She could feel each moment drag on painfully in silence as her ears pinned against her feral and untamed hair. Occasionally her stare would drift over to Entrapa when she was sure she was not looking, but not once did she stop. Entrapa simply moved her attention entirely to Catra in confusion, her head tilted at the casual question. “I mean- not that I really care- Just some friend wanted me to ask you something.”

Catra would admit without hesitation that she was not the best at this friendly interaction bullshit, but- if her college life was going to run her for all her worth? Then what else did she have to lose by that damn point! It had not been as though she had much dignity left to offer Entrapa who had been there to witness her entire meltdown, unlike the other two idiots. She might have even been thankful for that since Entrapa had not said much against her meltdown over the physical contact aspect. “I don’t understand what you mean by that Catra. You know we have basically on been here on campus for two days- aside from the rally tonight, then nobody else has much else they could be doing besides attending or sleeping. I mean, I could skip that because I’m not really into crowded events and I have this little fella but. No, I don’t.”

To demonstrate her point to Catra, she brought her freakish hair down to underneath her hamster's chin to itch there, earning weird bubbling from it. She did not understand what about that noise could make her roommate swoon so much over the creature- but it did. Catra knitted her brows down as her nails instinctively popped out and embedded into the table beneath in frustration. Could she not keep her cool for five seconds when doing her best to beat around the bush when it involved her emotions? She fucked up this morning with her roommate, and those red marks on her wrist were all the proof holding her grounded. Her resolve softened at the sight while her tail underneath the table writhed with guilt. “Yeah- right- the rally is where everyone is most likely going to be, but. As I said, if you wanted to, you could like, I guess come hang out with Scopria and me there. She said she wanted to meet you again- the tall buff woman you met last night.

Her clarification earned another lost expression from her roommate- who let her hand holding pieces of torn waffle fall to her lap and knitted her brows further, which was so- god damn frustrating. She would have to be the most oblivious person, and that meant something coming from Catra. It was like her good intentions in the next couple of moments were going to be thrown out the window with Entrapa who- she knew she had fucked over but- did she have to keep rubbing her nose in her own fucking filth world? “You’re asking me if I want to come along with you and your guardian to the rally tonight? Is that how these things go for you normally- plus, isn't she the apart of the teacher committee?” Catra could feel each twitch in her tail and eye as she breathed through her nose to calm down.

Could she strangle someone without making her guilt or prison sentence last too long? Catra could feel her face flustered from the moment this conversation had started, but by that point- she must have resembled some kind of tomato. She raised her hand to behind her ear to itch it aggressively to satisfy her phantom chill before she stared in annoyance dead on at her roommate. “Yes, hardass- I am, in fact, attempting to invite you to come with me and Scorpia to the rally tonight so it doesn't suck as bad! Scorpia will most likely be screaming her damn head off for the band anyway! Might as well add to the  _ party _ !” Catra hissed underneath her breath with enough force to make her roommate wince. 

Did she say that she was bad at friendly interactions? Yeah, but she might have to reconsider that wording to admit that she was really horrendous at it. She could feel her guilt returning to her stomach as her thoughts did not miss how fast her temper and patience were breaking than usual. There was still some hope to fix this though, as she crossed her arms across her chest and cleared her parch throat. “That’s not how I meant to say that. Just been a really shitty morning, okay- you saw it, alright? Would you wanna hang out later with us or not though? It’s cool if you say no, I don’t really care.” 

Progress- but not much. She really had to work more on her temper because down the road if she did keep snapping left and right at people- who were genuinely nice to her or plain oblivious about their surroundings. She would end up alone, and people around campus would treat her like the bully that had enrolled in Bright Moon only to stir chaos. That had not even been close to her real goal here either. She came here to run away from the institution and make her own image where others actually respected her genuinely and didn’t want to use her.

Catra outlined each of her darker marks on her arm in silent debate if she should leave or not. She understood she could be an asshole, but if she made someone uncomfortable with her presence or outburst- she would not stick around and cause more distress for either of them. She expected nothing from Entrapa, but when she heard her roommate laughing softly- her head bobbed up, and she stared in her direction, baffled. “You’re quite bad at being honest about your feelings, Catra- almost worse than me at interacting with people.”

Catra had not been anticipating laughter after her hot-headed temper, but- she did not mind it either. She could feel her lips turning up as chills ran down her back, and her eyes rolled at the insult. There was no way in hell though, that she did believe that the nerd had just insulted her after everything. “Shut up, Trapa- just answer the stupid question already. Did you wanna hang out with us- or well- me later?” Her question came off somewhat rough and mean, but- Entrapa seemed to beam at her nickname and last words that expressed her interest in hanging out together more. Catra cleared her throat another time to hide her oncoming embarrassment and flustered expression, but it did little to help.

“I had no real plans on attending, but It would be quite the fun social experiment to tag along with you guys because at least I know you two! That would make it less stressful, and Darla could use some time alone to familiarize herself with her new cage we bought today! Having others around when she’s doing that might be stressful to her, too, and I want her to be happy as can be.” Catra scoffed playfully as she had found her response amusing- of course, the reasoning behind her agreeing to tag along would involve mentioning how it would do her hamster some benefit. 

Tension from her shoulders drained into relaxation as she picked up her plastic spoon to resume scarfing down her remaining ice cream. Both had decided to peacefully let the conversation drop as neither had any more to say nor felt the need to keep it drawing out. It would ruin their good moods after the main point was already concluded and this silence- it was comfortable between them. She could focus on her freebie while Entrapa could focus on returning to pampering her hamster. It was nice for once after everything that had happened earlier that morning to just relax with her roommate. 

Before she could lose herself in her peaceful thoughts though- she paused and left her spoon to hang from her lips as she reached for her phone laid on the table from earlier. She turned on her phone until the chat from earlier popped back up, and she could send one more confirmation text about their meeting later to Scorpia. 

**Catra:** _Head up, Entrapa said she would be down to hang later tonight. Make sure to save us the best spots on the benches, or you can forget us coming._ **12:30**

* * *

Dusk undermined from somewhere across the west to the east of Bright Moon University quicker than anticipated as students bustled through full bleachers- searching for their friends and laughing carefree. Excitement like the plague had spread from the stadium as everyone waited on needles and nails for the start of the rally to take place. It left Catra feeling as though her ears were about to pop at all the loud runts around her, screaming their heads off without consideration. She could have gotten up and left due to her migraine slapping her across the face multiple times with each shrill scream, but- she remained seated at the top of the bleachers in between Entrapa and Scorpia.

Both of them were invested in their light-hearted conversation about the other students while occasionally passing over some of their own snacks they brought. Entrapa more invested in filming around the stadium from her seat while Scopria seemed content with watching from her seat. Catra though, raised her knee up anxiously to support her arm that cupped her face in her hand to stare out with laziness. 

She could not feel comfortable among the crowd, but she would deal with that- did that mean she would not complain though to express her discomfort though? No, of course not! “God, when are they going to start the damn event already? We have been here for like  _ hours,  _ Scorpia- don’t know you know what else they could be waiting on Scorpia since you’re like a teacher here and stuff. Don’t tell me they want us to wait till like fuckin Christmas or something. I’ll die of boredom!” Her complaint seemed to have brought Scorpia from her thoughts and conversation as she paused- glared half-heartedly at her- then sighed. 

Scorpia, in one big motion, brought her giant claw down onto her back with enough force to knock some air from her lungs. She could have even nearly launched her down from the bleachers- making her eat shit again for the second time- had her nails not caught herself from her demise with the chair in front of her, which scared the students in front of them. Catra pinned back her ears and reeled her head around, hissing in her most threatening manner at Scorpia, who shook her head with a chuckle. “Easy there, Catra- you know how I don’t like you cursing so much out in public- or even in private. It’s not good manners for someone your age.” 

That comment made Catra snarl as her teeth bared against her lips before she slammed her back into the metal fence behind them. She inhaled through her nose to calm her nerves down before crossing her arms, defiantly. “I’m 22 Scorpia- if I can’t curse now- when the hell would be acceptable for you, huh? When I’m like 80 and losing my teeth each and every hateful ‘fuck’ I spit out at someone because that’s not happening.” Her on slaughter of cursing made Scorpia cringe, which made her smile smug at the look of disappointment. “Whatever- I’m not a kid anymore- just answer the main question though Scorpia before Entrapa eats everything you guys brought, and the event hasn’t even started.” 

Catra directed her thumb over to her roommate as though to elaborate on her point. It earned an understanding hum from her guardian but brought Entrapa from her own world at the mention of her name. She brought her recorder down from her face to stare over at Catra, pointing at her with knitted brows before she shrugged. 

Her hand unconsciously reached into her pocket to retrieve another piece of candy before she popped it into her mouth and returned to filming the stadium. So much for them hanging out and talking or whatever normal people did. Catra rolled her eyes out of exhaustion before Scorpia caught her attention again. “Catra, you can’t expect something this big of a scale to just happened instantly- Angelica has been putting a lot of effort into this event, and she likes things to go perfectly. I’m sure she’s almost done- It’s only 10:20 anyways. We have been here for 20 minutes at best.” 

Catra could feel her teeth grit together at the reminder that it had been around 20 minutes of her life wasted around idiotic creaming students. She brought her ears down against her head and curled up her tail before uncurling it impatiently. “That’s 15 minutes past my patience level. Whatever I don’t care because it’s not like I had anything  _ else  _ to do- like catching up on some sleep but too bad, huh? I’m going to use the bathroom, been holding it for too long, and keep my stupid seat warm. I’ll be mad if I come back to someone in it like last time.”

She heaved herself up from the bleachers beneath, and both Scorpia and Entrapa look at her in concern before nodding their heads reluctantly. It wouldn’t be like she would get kidnapped on the way there to the bathroom; she brushed off their concerned stares and started making her way down. Students from both sides of the bleachers would occasionally look up and stare at her but would, after a couple of minutes, gawking, return to their conversation. She did have to use the restroom- that was no lie- but it did also count as a lie to get away from the noisy crowd until it started. These kinds of events were never her thing, after all. 

Catra skillfully maneuvered through the blockage of students until she burst out free from the avalanche of bodies. There it was. She began padding on over to the small stone bathroom that had the female sign on it before she busted through the door without consideration. It was empty. Thank god. She could finally catch her breath and clean up her face to attempt at erasing her exhaustion with cold water. That would be the first order of business before she passed out somewhere hidden from her friends- preferably in some tree out of reach- which god sounded so nice after that day. 

Catra barreled over to the nearest sink and grabbed onto the border of it with her nails. She gave herself one hard stare down at the mirror that showed her reflection, staring back with tired eyes and bags underneath them. Shit, did she really look like this hot of a mess tonight? She brought up one hand to touch underneath her bags before raising it up further to comb through her hair. It was messily thrown up into a high-tail pony, which was not really her style, but- when you’re tired- you’re tired. She reached down and turned on the tap water until it ran cool water, then lowered her face, gently splashing herself until her face was dripping. Nothing about this screamed pleasant but- cold water would wake her up more right? 

Her nose wrinkled against her palms at the feeling of the water nipping at her face, sending chills down her spine until her ears roused about above her head. She could hear the door creak open before someone threaded into the building with her.  _ Fuck _ . Just when she thought she could indulge in some more peace alone in the bathroom. Catra whipped her tail around in frustration but did not make an attempt to look at who waltzed in on her- neither did they as the sound of the stall door closing clicked.  _ Ugh. Probably some preppy uni girl looking to get ready for action later _ . 

Catra disconnected from her reality at the thought as she continued to splash her face with cool water until she was satisfied with the results. She brought her face up to stare back into the mirror, her vision blurry from droplets of water obscuring her sight. She forcefully sighed and closed her eyes, reaching out blindly to feel around for the paper towels until her fingers landed on them and yanked some over to her face. Catra aggressively rubbed the rugged piece of material across her face until she could feel her cheeks bruise and turn darker. 

She had been somewhat more ready to return to her seat with her friends again when the stall door directly behind her swung open and left her heart a mess. Familiar blue eyes peered into the mirror without any expression in them, but it left Catra feeling like bile was in her throat again. She could feel her tail straighten before curling around her leg as she remained hunched over the sink, her face covered by her hands as she held her breath. She didn’t dare make any sudden movements that could give away who she was, but- did Adora already know she was there? She had to have, right? If so, though- why did she act like nobody was there? 

That was the truth- Catra had no clue if she had already given away her profile before she had ever known who was in the bathroom with her. She could never be too certain though, as Adora simply yawned before stretching above her head until her shoulders popped into place. After that, she waltzed over to the sink next to hers and turned on the water without paying her any heed. What. The. Fuck. Was going on here? Did she really not know who she had casually just strolled up to? Was Adora really almost as dense as Entrapa? God, that sounded horrifying. Catra could feel her brain chunking out thoughts at a mile per second as she was at least glad she had changed out her earlier clothes. 

Something much simpler for the event than earlier, but what could she have done? After the rough and tussle she had gone through with Adora that morning, her outfit was disgusting and uncomfortable. Catra, in the end, settled for wearing some black tank top from her clothes and gray jogger pants- nothing too revealing nor complicated. Comfortable dare she say, but that was not the problem here but instead- what the hell was she suppose to do now in this situation? 

Catra with as much stealth as she could muster without coming off perverted- cast small glances over to Adora, who had been cleaning her hands without care and blissfully ignorant. It left something bitter in her mouth at the sight as the memory from that morning, bubbled up from the darkest corner of her thoughts. Just her luck here, huh? Couldn’t run into Adora once- but she had to do it again with nobody else around this time. Adora had been wearing the same light pink T-shirt she had been wearing earlier that morning, but- it was more straightened out, and her hair was still sprawled over her broad shoulders. Still unreadable though, as the silence between them with water running felt thick and suffocating. 

Yeah- no- she was still not ready to face Adora at this point in her life where she was mentally exhausted. She decided that she had enough playing around with her heart and made an attempt to dash out of there before anything else could happen. Whether Adora knew it was her or not did not matter anymore- her tired and beaten soul needed a break from reality. She reeled on her feet away from Adora, who had been still in her own world and made her way to the exit. She probably would have even gotten out of there had she not been stupid enough to hesitate at the door. Adora caught her panicked mind with such a gullible moment. “Uh. Hey there- I think you forgot about this? This is yours, right?” 

Wait- had she really forgotten something important enough for her to call out to her like this? She had been so enthralled with getting out there fast that she had not double-checked to make sure she hadn’t sat something down. Without thinking during her frenzied thoughts, she made her first mistake again by turning around and making eye contact with Adora. Adora stood there hesitantly, clinging close to the sink with the weakest smile on her face- but nothing that belonged to her. Instead, what she waved over in her direction was a phone that, in bold letters, had her name printed on the case.  _ Fucking Christ- such a dumbass till the very end! The easiest trick in the book done terribly, and I still went diving off the deep end! Fuck me!  _

Catra could feel her heart drop into her stomach as logic for the entire situation failed her brain. Just what had happened here. She knitted her brows and did her best to appear nonchalant as she crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow. “That’s not mine; I’m pretty sure that actually belongs to you unless some other Adora left their phone here in the bathroom.” That came out decent, right? Catra could not hear anything besides her own muffled voice in her ears that were throbbing along with her heartbeat. If she stuttered- which she really hoped she didn’t- she could no longer tell. 

Adora must not have anticipated her to catch onto her so fast because her expression faltered- her cheeks turning bright as she turned her phone around to look at her case before sheepishly chuckling. “Oh, wow, you know I had forgotten that was there, but you are totally right. This is, Uhm, mine for sure. Yep.” Adora made sure to pop her p before she lowered her down her phone and turned off both their running sinks, before shuffling a bit closer to her. “What I meant is, fancy meeting you here- again- not here but in general. In the bathroom, at this nice event, they're throwing out there.” Adora must have been mentally slapping herself as her expression was pained as she paused for a moment before continuing again casually. “You here by yourself?”

Was this her attempt at small talk after everything that had happened that morning- no after she had clearly stated she wanted nothing to do with her? Catra was concerned if their tumble that morning had made Adora lose some brain cells but kept that comment to herself. She would not argue with Adora in the middle of the bathroom at some shit event. Catra shifted from foot to foot as her tail curled around her leg for some comfort, her attention occasionally making away from Adora to the exit. “Yeah, Adora- fancy meeting you here too where people go to take fat shits and stuff. Plus, I totally came here by myself to hang out like some loner and probably snort crack off the tile floor- alone again, might I add.” 

Her sarcasm might have been overboard but who could blame her when faced with such stupid questions- running on the bare minimum of recommended sleep for her age. It brought on something foreign on Adora's expression as she frowned and stared at her seriously. “God Adora- just what on Etheria do you want me to say to you after everything this morning? Do you like- not understand how frustrating and weird it is to talk to each other after everything that happened between us. Don’t tell me you seriously forgot.” Catra waited for Adora to say something, but she just stood there looking at the floor guilty and shuffling from foot to foot. She had enough. “I’m too tired for this, and my friends are waiting, I'm leaving.” 

Her patience had been nonexistent almost from the start of their morning, but after everything that morning and evening. She could not find it in herself to entertain Adora in the middle of the bathroom or start another argument over the past that wouldn't change. Catra turned, intending to leave, but before she took another couple of steps towards the door- she could feel Adora close their distance enough to grab her wrist. This rush of adrenaline coursed through her blood at the contact again that was frighteningly warm but stopped dead in her tracks to turn and face Adora. Her second mistake that night. 

Catra underneath the dim bathroom light could see the distinct crimson color painted across Adora’s cheeks. She looked incredibly flustered, but somewhere in those blue eyes stared back the simple words that could not leave her mouth.  _ Please don’t leave me. _ It had been the same stare she offered Adora when the announcement she would be leaving the institution was confirmed from their elders. Her nails unsheathed and dug into her palms, but she could not feel her strength to retract her hand from Adora’s warmth.

She felt intoxicated with the affectionate pleading stare Adora was giving her, but she lowered her ears warningly- offering her one chance to speak. “Wait, please don’t run again like this morning- I know I’m going about this really stupidly, but. Catra, can we please talk, like actually talk like the adults we are now? I’m not a little kid anymore, and if you want to yell and fuss, you can, but you have to listen to me too. Please.” Her hushed plead come out as though her life were on the line here- her cards all laid out on the table and out in the open for Catra to see and choose what would play out next. Her blue eyes burned like hot lava that tore at her logic until nothing but impulse and instincts were left.

She had nothing tethering her here in the bathroom with Adora- not even her weak hold on her arm had been enough to keep her there had she not wanted to be there. Just when feeling Adora treat her like something precious and fragile was enough to make her heart tremble. Something like this had never happened to her during her years without Adora- even then- she had only ever thought of her as some twerp that she could cherish. She thought about this heartwarming feeling for some time before she murmured underneath her breath in hesitation. “You’re an absolute idiot; you know that? After this morning, you still want to talk to me? I was a total dick, you know?” Maybe she could spare some time to listen and get some explanations about their past, but if it hurt too much like earlier- she was free to leave. Adora made that clear.

Adora hesitated at her choice of approach to their conversation before she nodded. God- she looked absolutely desperate for her to agree to listen and talk with her about things that she would most likely never be ready for, but- because of that fact, all the more reason to do it now, huh? Rip their bandaid off after so many years. It would hurt like a bitch, but how could she find it in herself to deny Adora when she looked so beaten, and her eyes screamed for her attention. Between warmth and conflict about the right choice she makes. She decided she had nothing to lose because if Adora finished her heart off- maybe she could move on from the past and stop caring. “Whatever- It’s your funeral, but let me pee, and let's go somewhere more private this time. Your friends won’t wonder where you are and call the police on me, right?”

She had been, for the most part teasing Adora, but when she thought about it seriously- her friends did seem like the overly protective type to call the police over 20 minutes of her missing. It even left Adora unsure as she bit her lip and nodded her head before waiting and shaking her head. Great. “They are too busy waving their poster around from what we made earlier- we won’t be long. I promise.” Catra exhaled through her nose when feeling Adora release her wrist with uncertainty as to if she would run away, but when she didn’t- Adora relaxed noticeably. It made Catra chuckle at her uncertainty before unconsciously grabbing her own wrist where Adora had been holding onto- the warmth still lingering there like electricity.

Catra collected her thoughts together for a moment before she pointed to the door as though to signal for Adora to wait outside for her. She seemed reluctant but followed her command and left her there to her thoughts. This was either going to be a progressive conversation or horrible, and by that point- her day was already shit enough, and one more to close it up wouldn't completely kill her- or so she hoped. God, what was she doing with herself anymore?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, Hypnosis here and I thought about posting weekly, but to be honest with all these chapters, I'm pushing out. I would have the whole book done while you guys were behind me in story progression. I’ll catch you guys up maybe with me in the next couple of days as like motivation to keep posting more chapters. I think I might be getting back into my groove now, so I hope you all enjoyed this chapter of Forgotten Phoenix! 
> 
> Nothing much else to say besides enjoying the chapter and like always- shameless promotion because I’m not getting younger.  
> Twitter: FreakHypnosis


	5. Missed You Too

This agreement and promise to communicate- was something in the right direction- that much was straightforward and not complicated. Just the complicated part here was that after years of them ignoring their untouched and sensitive wounds left from the other- when the concept of willfully bringing them underneath the light of the truth came out. It made everything much more unbearably harder than it should have been when confusion and anger were left in the void of emotion.

Adora, to be honest here had not even anticipated the current situation to spiral out of control as it had. This unspoken conversation with Catra- to running into Catra in the bathroom all on her own had not even occurred could happen to her. It could have all been avoided had she not let her emotions and thoughts control her before her brain could process everything- was she emotionally instinctive and vulnerable? Yeah. She recognized Catra heaving herself from the sink immediately when entering the bathroom but hoped she could steer from another fight like that morning.

Pretending to be ignorant underneath stressful moments when her mind could not fathom what she could do in certain situations had been her most practical expertise- but how had everything gone down in such flames? That question was stupid- Adora understood how that had all gone down because she was the one to light the fire. Seeing Catra turn her back on her and attempt to run from her had hurt enough that her dumb mouth chose to run without much thought. Something defeated and incomplete- something yearning for her to look at her- compelled her to speak and compelled her to reach out to grab those cold hands.

That emotion more powerful than her own thoughts guided her through the moment that could feel like years had she not been so focused. It was all happening too fast- from talking- to waiting for her outside the restroom as students passed through with their concerned stares- to here, where Catra was not figments of her imagination and actually sat beside her. It comforted her when it should have not and brought peace over her rampant thoughts and anxieties that had formed over the years on her own. She brought her fingers down against the dirt and drew absentminded doodles beneath her as her breathing and heart- they felt like they were not hers.

For the first time, Adora let her stare wander across the space between them until she could see Catra leaned against the tree as well. She looked on guard and uncomfortable with their silence as well. What could she have been thinking about at that moment? She could feel curiosity churn in her stomach at the thought before she pressed herself to break their silence. “Nice weather out tonight, huh?” God- that was the dumbest question she could choose yes- but what else could she have said that didn’t sound stupid at that moment? Catra wouldn’t ever initiate the conversation, which left her to do it- her, the anxious child with parenting problems from the Horde institution where she questioned everything she did. 

It would be their start though, and had Catra complained about her choice to break the ice- she could argue that she would love to hear what she would have suggested their conversation begun with. It would be her petty side, but her anger from earlier and yearning was not mixing well, to start with. She paid close enough attention to Catra beside her to notice the flicker to her dark matted ears before she cast her stare over to Adore without much thought.

Something underneath the darkness that protected them from the outside world made those mismatched eyes seem more distant. Thankfully though, her grunt brought Adora from that thought as Catra responded without much interest. “Yeah, whatever, It’s not bad outside, but I still would rather be in the dorm underneath the blankets, you know?” Catra turned her attention out to the stadium with that uninterested expression still on her face before she grumbled the rest out. “Didn’t even wanna be here tonight because- I'm so fucking tired, and the shit we pulled this morning- did not help my case.”

Ouch- that hurt more than she thought it should have since after all- she had been the one to permit Catra to complain and fuss at her so long as she would listen to her side of the story as well. Just because the first thing that hurt was said did not mean Catra was not heeding her agreement terms and was still listening- that was something right? It might not have been pleasant, but it was something after all the anger that had built up over the years in her memories served.

Adora hummed underneath her breath in acknowledgment since while it did hurt- she could understand what Catra meant. That morning had not been how either of them planned their morning to start, and it was emotionally and physically draining- did that mean they would have to end their night terribly too, though? She genuinely hoped that their conversation would lead to something pleasant to improve for their relationship so she could sleep soundly that night.

“Yeah- not how I expect my morning to go like either Catra. To be fair enough though for both of our sakes- you did get your revenge from me tackling you this morning when you pushed me off you. Just shocked to be honest that you didn’t notice me earlier and moved out the way since you’re- well- you. The prodigy from Horde institution. You use to be really acrobatic- don’t tell me you’re losing your skills.” Her hands raised to in front of her chest before spreading out to prove her point about Catra being their prodigy in an innocent bat at her ego. It used to embarrass Catra when she would call her their prodigy, but for the moment- maybe things could be how they used to be between them in the conversation.

Catra stared incredulously at her from her seat against the tree as though she were debating how she should react to that insult but, in the end, dismissed it- chuckling from her stomach at how stupid she must have looked with her attempt at being smug for once. “Losing my touch, huh? Haven’t had someone stupid enough to say something like that to my face in years- of course, you would be the first one to do it. Not like I could lose my touch even if I wanted to though since after all- with all the elders put me through. You could say that what they taught me will be second nature for the rest of my life. You on the other hand? Not much room to speak- still clumsy and using your inhumane strength to ball through crap.”

This was something in the right direction, right? Catra seemed more at ease when their old bantering was being integrated into the conversation. She was different from how she had been when she was younger, but there was still the same Catra underneath all that—someone who would shy from conversations that were straightforward and serious— but indulge in light-hearted discussions. Adora felt more confident at that thought that this was not someone utterly new to here, and someone she would have to relearn from scratch entirely. It was Catra- her Catra. This was only the warm-up though before the main course- the main conversation they were dancing around on pins and needles. 

Adora shrugged her shoulder nonchalantly in response to the insult thrown back at her-she deserved that much- and brought her finger away from her doodles on the ground. Stick figures of them as children had replaced the absentminded circles she had been drawing earlier, and she felt embarrassed. Shoot. Leave it to her actions to beat her thoughts to the moment once more. She cleared her throat in an attempt to hide her embarrassment in her voice before she spoke up. “Not holding back on throwing your jealousy in my face are you tonight, huh? I mean, I don’t mind- I think of my inhumane strength as my best feature, so why not flaunt it, huh? It’s sad to admit though that, that’s not what landed me admission into Bright Moon Uni for some like sports Scholarship.”

Her mention of her admission into Bright Moon University caught Catra’s attention as she casually repeated what she had said- as though she were tossing the words around on her tongue. “What landed you in Bright Moon Uni then if not your overbearing muscles? Don’t tell me you’re here for something lame like home economics or something- especially when this is the only magic and human combined college out there that I know about.”

Adora thoughtfully brought her hand to her chin in debate as to if she should tell her old friend her future dreams- they were dumb when she said them out loud to herself in the morning, what was to say telling someone who supposedly hated her wouldn’t sound dumb? This was Catra though- someone who had once been her resolution for change and progression on herself and knew everything about her. “Hmm... Please don’t laugh at me, but I want to work with children when I’m older, regardless of where they come from or what their class or race could be. Maybe here.”

Pushing the conversation this far into personal thoughts and details was interesting since some reason- she didn’t feel terrible or ashamed about admitting her future dreams with Catra. Yeah, her anxiety stirred her stomach in some small manners, but other than that- it felt relieving to have someone listen to her dreams without pitying her for her own past as an orphan and pulled magic class student.

Catra did nothing that mocked her through her small explanation, and instead, she hummed in interest before dropping the conversation- not wanting to push them too far. “That’s cool, I guess- can’t say I expected that from you but. That’s nice. Uhm. Anyways you should check out at the doctor to make sure this new ego of yours doesn’t make your head pop. Would be somewhat sick though not gonna lie since everything else at Bright Moon Uni is so dull and shit. Their excitement equals tea time or this controlled rally.” Her laughter was so free and pure, so childish despite her adult years. It came to her ears as a tickle and bounce and made her chest feel incredibly warm at how carefree her old friend could be. 

Confident in their carefree mood that was radiating off Catra who had been laughing beside her at her own lame comment- Adora leaned over enough to playfully shove her, which could have gone better because Catra almost doubled over onto her side. She must have been too excited about their progress in the conversation that her strength once again prevailed over Catra’s small frame. God- she was terrible at this rekindling friendship stuff and had thrown her old friend almost twice in one day now. “Oh, shi-I mean shoot Catra! I am so freaking sorry about that again; I wasn’t trying to be mean or anything- the moment was just- I’m sorry.”

Adora fumbled around her thoughts in an attempt to form some coherent apology while Catra crossed her legs with her ears pinned in pain from her shoulder. It must have been more than pushing like she initially thought because she thought Catra would lose her crap and start yelling but- to her pleasant or painful surprise. She could feel Catra punch her shoulder where Glimmer had slapped her earlier and recoiled in her own pain with a frown. “Ouch! What the hell, Catra! I didn’t even punch you, so why did you punch me?!”

Instinctively, Adora rubbed her bruised arm and glare at Catra, who sat up straight while holding her crossed legs, looking at her smug and victorious. Adora did want to clean her face clean from that expression, but she as could lose herself in that familiar childish expression. The way her mismatched eyes twinkled with mischief and her freckles on her face moved with her cheeks at every scrunch. It left her feeling breathless and frustrated. “Don’t dish out what you can’t handle next time, then Adora. Guess dum dum, and dummer had some point when they said you were easily bruised’”

Adora pulled herself from those concerning thoughts that made her notice how pretty her friend had become over the years and huffed underneath her breath. She could feel her loose bangs covering her eyes annoyingly and blew up to get some of it out of her face while Catra leaned back against the tree. Her laughter had died out somewhere during her, focusing on her thoughts, and in the wake of it- Catra stared off in the distance with a somber expression before she whispered softly. “You seem to be doing really well for yourself out here on your own. Can’t tell you I’m happy that it was without me because that would be me lying, but- that’s good for you.”

Had Catra been the one to initiate the conversation, both of them dread without her help? That, for some reason, caught Adora off guard as her mouth opened with the intention to respond before she closed it. She could notice Catra staring at her from the corner of her attention, and that distant expression they had to them made her heart clench in her chest. She pressed her lips into a thin line and turned her attention from that intense stare and into the leaves above, their swaying calming her beating heart down and the sight of the moon shining through clearing her mind. “Looks that way, huh? Guess you wouldn’t be wrong either. Don’t get me wrong, but. I don’t know. Sometimes it doesn’t feel that way, you know? Moments like this remind me of that.”

Whatever foreign emotion that compelled her earlier to persuade Catra to talk- to reach out and close their distance until she could feel her wrist in her hand- was coming back with an intensity that left her thoughtless. It might not have been the brightest idea to admit these things to someone who could have for all she knew- hated her for her past actions- but when Catra was here with her so close she could touch her? She could feel herself slipping and being stripped back into her childhood vulnerability.

Both of them sat in silence once more until she heard Catra hum to herself in acknowledgment and understanding, her tail brushing over her knuckles and whether it was on purpose or not- It made Adora feel safe and comforted. “We’re both pretty fucked up like that where we don’t even know what to call our emotions anymore. Emotions were never- no, they still are never encouraged at the institution, but some of the new kids are still learning that the hard way like you.”

“Yeah- You might have some point there. We’re both pretty messed up- not something good, but we can at least talk to each other about it and not deal with others feeling sorry for us, huh?” Her humor for that instance was nothing but brittle anger from the unfairness behind their childhood that their institution- the Horde institution- because no, that was no longer her future, or to be exact, their future together. Catra and including everyone she had left behind in the Horde institution had drifted from not communicating, but when she heard snippets about it. She couldn’t help but feel nostalgic and wonder what their-no, her old friends, was doing in recent years.

Not all the children in the Horde institution had been spiteful to her when Catra had introduced her to them. There were some who she had become close with and thought of as her family despite not understanding what made families by definition. She pushed that memory of the 5 of them from their childhood from her mind as- she didn’t know if she had even deserved to know about their current life or dwell on their past. “You seem to be doing well for yourself too Catra- you said you came here with some friends right? That’s something cool! Are they nice to you and stuff?” 

Her question made Catra turn her head in the other direction, combing her fingers through her hair as she forced herself to chuckle nervously before she looked back- her expression lost but with some affection behind it. That mental image automatically imprinting itself to her mind as she frowned- thinking she had said something wrong or some kind of terrible joke that offended Catra again. God, she felt like she was on constant eggshells around this- situation- but she wanted to do this- she wanted to be here with Catra after so long. “Funny that you think this,” She gestured down to her appearance before rolling her eyes. “Doing welling, but still- I appreciate the lie.”

Adora stared at her incredulously- somewhat offended that her old friend had even attempted to claim that she was not doing well for herself when- frankly, she seemed to be doing really good for herself over the years. “Catra- what? You’re joking me. You look really…” Her next comment got caught in her throat as her cheeks felt like they were on fire when her attention came down from the leaves to her friend beside her- who stared at her with her brows quirked in interest. That black tank top clung to her slender and toned figure like a crime while the gray baggy sweat pants added to the image well. Adora could feel her breath leaving her chest as she mumbled the first thing that came to mind. “You look really good, Catra. Don’t give yourself the short end of the stick like that unless you wanna hear me complain to you about some real problems.”

Her compliment and directness about her thoughts on Catra made her old friend double over herself in revelation- her tail stiff at her side as she brought her hand up to itch behind her ears in embarrassment. This wasn’t something she had meant to admit out loud, but- was this something to be proud of or regret? Adora contemplated over that thought until she heard Catra clear her throat forcefully and speak up. “Thanks, I guess. You uh. Don’t know what you would complain about though, since you don’t look too bad yourself.”

Catra paused with more uncertainty as she seemed to be thinking herself about something- maybe about how they were supposed to be angry with each other rather than complimenting each other- but in the end, continued. “My- whatever they are, form of entertainment or whatnot. They’re cool, by the way- weird, don’t get me wrong, but I guess I fit in well enough for them to stick around with all my emotional problems. Group of misfits, I guess.”

Adora nodded her head, smiling at the indirectness about her old friend before speaking up. “Pretty sure that’s what the definition of friends are you dummy- you should learn to admit the truth more often. It didn’t kill you this time and I’m sure it won’t any other time..” Adora paused for a moment, contemplating about how much her heart was swelling at their familiar spark before she continued without much thought to her actions. “God I’ve missed this- I missed talking to you like this more than I thought.” Once her words left her mouth and another second passed for them to register to both of their minds, silence swallowed their light hearted atmosphere.

Adora could feel her beating heart dropping into her stomach as she tossed the words she had said through her mind on repeat- like it painted her tongue with foreign letters that neither were ready to understand. “Catra wait- I didn’t mean so say that out loud or- I mean- I meant, well. I’m really not good with situations like these because I did mean it- that’s how I’ve always felt- missing you and missing what we had before we were separated but. I didn’t think before I spoke.” 

Catra underneath their ominous cloud of emotional tension seemed to be frustrated from what she had fumbled out faster than she could breathe to cover up her mistake. She must have been from watching her knead the fabric of her joggers in her hand with her ears pinned back- that would have been understandable. She had thrown them into the vast ocean of emotional distress that had been left from their childhood together. Adora could feel her stomach churning with regret and anticipation to be fussed about, but- that never came- and instead to her shock, Catra grumbled underneath her breath to the point that had she been not listening close. She would have never heard what she said. “Me too.”

Who could have assumed something so simple could have made her heart feel like someone had forced it into her throat. Happiness at hearing someone admit they missed her maybe as much as she had, knew no bounds at this moment- her brain running miles with anticipating what this could have meant. She wanted to close their distance to hug her old friend beside her but steeled herself to control her emotions to make sure not to mess this progress up once more. Catra was not done speaking after all, and her admitting she missed her too had meant nothing in retrospect, right? “But It hurt when you left- A lot. And I’m really fucking frankly pissed off about how things went between us, but I’m really tired of holding onto that.”

There was the catch that she had almost jumped the gun for and some reason- she could feel herself for the first time become aware of their surroundings as she thought about her response. Something she could say that wouldn’t set Catra off or invalidate her feelings of being hurt from her choices. “Catra, I’m sorry- I never meant to hurt you. We were young, and there was nothing in that situation I could do-we could have done. There was more behind the reason than me leaving for my own sake. It hurt me, too, when you started to ignore me though.” Painful memories of being ignored by the one person she trusted and needed in her life- made her choke up on her words as tears threatened to spill out, but she didn’t dare allow them to despite wanting to.

“Adora shut up, alright? I know that, and I’ve been known that even before you left but god- that doesn’t make it hurt less, and I know I shouldn’t have felt like that, but fuck. If I couldn’t be angry, then what was I going to do? Cry myself into depression? Just god... I don't remember you trying to defend yourself though, for what you wanted. That’s the part I don’t understand, and it frustrates me to this day- were our future dreams never important, and if not that then- what about yours?”

Catra hesitated about what she wanted to admit next and shuffled against the tree- her words tearing her throat for an escape from her thoughts. Their bandaid left from over their years of ignoring their feelings about how the other had hurt them was already peeling off without their control having any say so. This was something now that things were out in the open they could no longer push back and had to dance across despite the pain that came with it. “We could have done something together instead of you doing it without fighting.”

What did she want? From the very beginning, she had wanted nothing but Catra to be with her last moments. Catra had been the one to decide she wasn’t worth it though and had pushed her away for her own safety. “I wanted you to be there with me, Catra- yeah, we could have fought against their choice, but it would have then not only hurt me in the end, but It would have hurt you. You had this image with them and if I did something stupid... I didn’t want you to suffer after I left Catra.” She was angry, right? That’s the right emotion she should have felt after all her attempts to lessen her damage had been completely breezed over, but years later, at the moment, she never thought she’d get to express that. Nothing but emptiness and sadness was left.

Her mouth felt unbearably dry at the thought there was nothing left in her to express to Catra- when all the years she had been calculating and rephrasing what she could tell Catra if she had ever met her again were gone in an instant. Sure she could scream her head off at Catra, but that look of disbelief would disarm her in an instant as well- but even without that look, would she mean what she said if she were to scream in nonexistent anger? God, why could everything be so simple but so stressful for her when they shouldn’t have been? Without thinking too much, Adora brought up her hand to rub at her eyes and look away from the questioning stare Catra was shooting her way- sniffling pathetically in an attempt not to cry under the stress of her anxiety and confusion.

“Adora- wait- are you crying right now?” Catra called out her name with such affection that it brought another wash of emotions over her chest as she shuddered. She liked how Catra could be rough, but underneath that, even after she had messed up years ago and ran away- she could still be gentle with her like she was something valuable. She could ignore that silent plead for her attention again, but like everything else, she could not control with herself when Catra was around- she felt compelled to look over to her, and when she did, she felt more breathless than before. “You thought I cared about their stupid opinions with me over your feelings?”

That was silly- yeah- of course, she knew Catra cared about her, but to what extent she would take the dive for her- that was something she still had no clue about. She mused in silence about the question even as Catra stared at her in disbelief and interest before she cleared her throat- cleaning her eyes more aggressively to look more presentable. “No, but what would be the point of me ruining what you were becoming- someone great in their eyes- when I was just someone who stood in your shadows and was leaving.”

Whatever remaining confidence she had in their conversation was pulled from underneath her feet without warning when she heard Catra laughing- clutching her sides and pausing every couple of minutes to clean her face of some stray tears. It hurt to be laughed at for her stupid thoughts that haunted her over the years, but when Catra shook her head and weakly held up her hand for a moment of peace. She had to drag the answer out of Catra about what was so damn funny about her pain. “What’s so funny about that? I’m serious here, Catra.”

“Wait a minute, hold on, Adora- I can’t breathe here, and you're starting to get mad over nothing! I know you're being serious, and that’s why it’s so funny, Adora- I never gave a shit about their stupid opinions of me, and I still don’t you dumb ass! I came here to get away from all that bullshit. You mattered more than their opinions back then. Didn’t expect to get rammed down by you, but god, I can’t believe this entire time you genuinely believed that.” Adora gritted her teeth in agitation of Catra, laughing at her for believing that when younger Catra never took the time to tell her that. It would have made everything less painful.

She extended out her arms to push Catra in frustration, but Catra had been too busy laughing to catch herself. She landed on her side with a grunt that made her stop laughing but from how she had fallen on her side with a weak glare. It made Adora smile smug and chuckle herself finally. That was funny now. “You’re still a huge jerk Catra- that much hasn’t changed nor how immature you can sometimes be.”

Catra curled around herself on the ground to snort at her insult before she batted her nails in her direction without landing any painful scratches. This would be a battle; she would not let her old friend start without her finishing. Adora slapped away each hand that came at her with sloppy focus until she could feel Catra kick her from away and knocked her onto her back. “Shut up, Adora- you’re still whiny as always yourself.” Catra raised herself up on her elbows before she lunged from her position on the ground to pin Adora down before she could get back off her back. Staring down at her, Catra had the most mischievous expression on her face, and she leaned down just enough- to coo out her name laced with venom and affection.

“Hey, Adora- as I said, you should only dish out what you can handle, and you obviously can’t handle anything I’ll deliver back to you.” Hearing her name being cooed out in such a suggestive manner left chills to run down her spine and brought color back to her cheeks as she huffed. Adora adjusted herself underneath Catra before testing how tight Catra had been holding onto her hands and sticking out her tongue rebelliously. “And you calling me immature then the next moment sticking your tongue out at me like some child? Plus, starting fights? That’s hypocritical of you. I think you might have that phrase backward because the definition in books says Adora right now- what next from you? Pillow fights?”

Adora cut her off out of embarrassment as she grumbled. “Actually, pillow fights aren’t that bad..”

Catra groaned at the mention before rolling her eyes, tapping her nails against her forehead, and getting off her. “You’re too much and grown far too much into quite the little princess, huh? Not my cup of tea for tonight since I’m way too exhausted for that conversation- plus, I’d rather not be infected, so we’re going to call this a night since the event started and our groups should be getting concerned now.” Catra stood at her feet, staring down thoughtfully before she smiled and dusted herself off from the dirt while Adora remained laid on the grass- glaring at her. “Guess there are more things we got to talk about, but at least I can understand some of your stupid reasons now.”

Catra snorted at the expression on her face before turning on her feet to leave- waving her hand lazily in front of her shoulder while her tail flicked about suggestively behind her. “Enjoy the rest of your night, Adora. I’ll be gracious enough to leave you with some contact information so text me later at -----”

Adora laid there on the cold ground flabbergasted and winded as she watched from the corner of her eyes at Catra strolling off into the darkness. Each twitch of her dark matted tail swaying with her motions as though she were suggesting- or daring her to follow suit but she never did. She didn’t even move until the figure of her friend had completely vanished from sight and left her alone to her thoughts. That was that for their conversation tonight and this step to fix their relationship- was something she had to relish in. She stared up at the branches moving with the wind before she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket.

Adora dug out her phone from her pockets and brought it up to her face, wincing when the light hit her eyes until the contrast settled and showed notifications from Glimmer and Bow. 

**Glimmer:** Heyo Adora, like I know you haven’t been feelin well, but- whatever is holdin you up in the bathroom needs to wrap up right now! The rally started like 5 minutes ago! **10: 34**

 **Glimmer:** Did you fall into the toilet or get lost? **10:36**

 **Glimmer:** Alright, now I’m concerned, and you know I don’t like you reading your messages! Bow! Say something to get her attention, please! **10:38**

 **Bow:** I’m right next to you, Glimmer- why are you texting her so many times? I’m sure she’s okay, but- if you aren’t fine, Adora- scream, and we will be right there on the scene! **10:38**

 **Glimmer:** Bow! That. Would. Not. Help. **10:39**

 **Bow:** I am trying to keep the peace here, Glimmer- one of us needs not to be freaking out here at least, and you took that role enough for two people. **10:40**

 **Glimmer:** UGH! ADORA ANSWER YOUR PHONE ALREADY! MERMISTA WON'T STOP ASKING ABOUT YOU! **10:41**

 **Adora:** I’m here, guys! Calm down and enjoy the event already, I’m sorry about not reading your messages! Something came up, but I'll be right there in a minute- I’m fine, by the way! Love yall! <3 **10:44**

 **Glimmer:** Girl, you are in so much trouble right now- you are going to explain this when you are here, but love ya too! Hurry up- your seat is getting cold, and so are the hot dogs you brought. **10:44**

 **Bow:** Told ya, she was okay. **10:45**

 **Glimmer:** Shut up before I steal your heresy candies right now out your hand. **10:45**

 **Bow:** I dare you- you wouldn’t. **10:45**

 **Glimmer:** Ha. **10:45**

Adora snorted at the conversation with her friends before dropping her phone back down onto her stomach. Her conversation with Catra repeating in her head for clarification that it really did happen not too long ago and that phone number. She had to remember to add it later tonight. This semester was going to be really interesting and long but- not bad. She looked forward to what else it could bring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, Hypnosis here again with another chapter! This one was supposed to be out two days ago, but I got sidetracked, but here’s chapter 5! Another one will be popping out soon, so I hope you all enjoyed it and look forward to the next one like always! 
> 
> Nothing much else to say besides enjoying the chapter and like always- shameless promotion because I’m not getting younger.  
> Twitter: FreakHypnosis


	6. Classes Start

Submerged underneath heaps of pillows and blankets laid Catra- her attention focused on their dorm ceiling as her ears roused with annoyance at each loud noise to her right. She had done everything she could- from counting backward to pretending there were sheep above her head but, nothing could erase the presence of her frantic roommate. Entrapta for what had felt like the past hour had been throwing her clutter around their dorm while her phone would buzz with her multiple alarms. Sleep right? Impossible with everything going on and what really set the bomb off inside herself was the small bedside lamp across the room being turned on.

Their once relatively peaceful dorm was now consumed by warm-colored lights from the lamp while Entrapta mumbled nonsense to herself. She swore to everything righteous that she would end up on the television for murdering her roommate if she did not shut the fuck up- which would most likely not happen soon. It hurt her head from all the noise her roommate was committing so early in the morning- her anger was justifiable enough to avoid lengthy prison sentences, right?

Her morning language Interpretation class would be starting soon and so far that morning- her roommate left her considering if it would be worth getting into massive trouble for skipping her first class of the semester. It would most likely not be worth it in the long run though- and she could do nothing more but wallow frustration. Each noise that would clatter through the moment of silence was agonizing and the thought of admitting she was awake now. It was much worse. 

Catra brought her hands to her face, where her bangs hung over her eyes and grabbed what she could. Her chest rumbled until her throat threatened to spill her snarls that pressed for release. Through her fingers that were dragging down her face painfully- she saw shadows from her roommate dance across their ceiling in her space of darkness. This was enough chaos that she had chose to originally ignore- she had to cut this cord before it lit everything in her world on fire. Possibly quite literally. Entrapa for the past 10 minutes had been scattering to get ready for her morning biology classes too, but unlike Entrapa- she could sleep in and still get more done.

She had about 30 minutes to spare before she would have to move from her bed and get dressed, which would have been enough- had her roommate not decided to turn their dorm upside down. She had been laid there, pretending to still be asleep for the past 10 minutes that everything was spiraling out of control in the hopes her roommate would leave. That left her with 20 minutes to rest her eyes to the fullest potential even though her sleepiness spell had long since worn off- that didn’t mean she wasn’t mentally exhausted already. 

You’d think the night before she would be a nervous wreck, but some reason she was sleeping great until that moment. Maybe knowing hell was coming was more comforting than everything else that had happened those last three days. She removed her hands from hair disheveled hair and slapped it aimlessly across the bed until she could feel her finger graze her cold phone screen. She felt like some teenage girl again waiting for someone to message her as she cautiously pulled her phone to in front of her face- turning the screen on and recoiling when the brightness nearly blinded her.

Catra, in one quick motion, slid her finger across the phone settings until the brightness was dimmed to an acceptable brightness for that early in the morning. It took another moment though, for her eyes to adjust to the change of light, but when they did- her heart sunk into her stomach like every other morning as there were nothing but emails and text from Scorpia. Nothing she wanted to see there though. Nothing from Adora. 

She had told herself that letting her old best friend have access to her phone number was nothing more than some whimsical scheme for entertainment, but- If that was the case- why did it hurt so much not once to see her name light up her phone notifications? She counted the minutes, the hours, until before she had known it- two whole days had gone past without reason- without Adora texting her or reappearing in her life to let her know that their conversation that night meant something. It was stupid that she would once more be the only one in their relationship or whatever it was they had- care enough to feel this empty inside without her.

Nothing changed from Adora- not then- not now, and that thought that hung over her mind like clouds was suffocating, but she brushed it off. She had no reason to be caught up on Adora when even during the conversation- they were still walking on eggshells around each other and- while she might have said she understood everything that happened between them. That had not been the complete truth about her emotions as some part of her no matter what reasoning- felt bitter down to the core. Chanting like life was at stake that she did not care, that caring was not her thing and weakened her. Fuck it hurt still even after sleeping.

Catra brought her phone from her face and laid it on her chest- letting it raise and lower with her unsteady breathing as she shut her eyes and gave into the chaos around her. “Entrapa- can you literally be any louder in the morning because if you could crank it up- I’d be so fucking thrilled to be alive with you right now.” Her tone soft through the noise that her roommate was making seemed to still do the trick in conveying her agitation as there was silence from both of them. She had zero mental capacity to scream her head off at her roommate that early and was glad Entrapta caught on quicker than usual- but something about this silence from Entrapta concerned her. What did she fuck up now?

Hesitant and unsure, she wanted to find out what her roommate had done to become drop-dead silent- she opened her eyes and cast her stare off to the side where she noticed Entrapa leaning over her hamster's decent-sized cage they had picked. She looked guilty. Catra gritted her teeth through frustration and spoke up more louder this time like some parent catching their kid. “What is it, Entrapta.”

This was not some question anymore- this was her statement for Entrapta to spit it out already before she lost her shit on her. It earned the usual response to her hostility from Entrapta- who shifted from foot to foot underneath her glare without responding though. This was not going to work out in the manner she wanted to with her intimidation level at zero because she was laid out like the dead in her bed. Catra groaned and kicked her sheets off from her legs and began the painful process of sitting up on her bed, her right knee pulled to her chest while the other stayed stretched out.

She laid her chin on her knee, pulled to her chest, and stared directly at her roommate, who clearly wanted something from that puppy dog expression. Her getting up though seemed to drag her from her thoughts though as she stammered out for the first time to her earlier comment. “Oh- good morning, Catra! I was just conducting my daily journal entry about how Darla is doing this morning to keep track of everything with her in case she gets sick or something. You should really pay close attention to your animals. Did I wake you up by chance?”

Her Innocent and carefree personality shone through even in the morning, huh? That was the usual Entrapta from what she had come to understand but- some reason that fact bothered her more than it should have that morning because holy fuck- why was this girl running her mouth so much so early in the morning and about crap she didn’t know clearly anything about. It never occurred to her to care about animals or things that never liked her, to begin with- so why should she ever be expected to care enough to learn anything about them besides they exist somewhere? “No Entrapa, I was laying here hoping you’d throw more shit at the wall or something- whatever you were doing-”

She paused with a deadpan expression on her face before squinting her eyes and hissing out with more sarcasm. “No shit, Entrapa- yeah, who could sleep through you slamming things and stomping in what? Are those freaking army boots or something sheesh? Just tell me what you want- I’m not stupid, and I’m clearly not asleep anymore either.” Her ears roused about from her messy hair as Entrapta mumbled something in dejection- her hair holding her notebook dropping to her side as she nodded in acknowledgement. 

She might have overdone herself again in the heat of the moment and emotion- but before she could dread on her actions more- Entrapta rose her right palm up and slapped her right fist in it like she had an epiphany that she had totally not been beating around the damn bush on. Catra swore her sanity was leaving more by the hour. “Right well since you are awake- and I am awake, would you like to walk with me to our classes? I’m not too good with the crowds, but with someone intimidating like you there- I’d make it there without hitches! You’ve already made yourself quite known with that other girl! You should introduce us soon!”

Catra could feel shudders run down her back at the mention of Adora, but that negative emotion was easier to breeze over when some pride swelled in her chest at the idea that she was intimidating. It was not something she would brag about openly though, as that defeated the entire purpose of her being at Bright Moon- to install herself in positive lights and respect from her peers on her own. She pushed down that malicious feeling and raised her hand from her knee to pinch the bridge of her nose with a sigh. “Entrapa, I am sure I am not all that intimidating with my height being nothing more than 5’2, alright? I appreciate the idea behind it, but no- plus who the hell would we be here?”

Her nail tapped against her knee as she watched Entrapta express her confusion with her head tilted for another minute before realization washed over her expressions. Her roommate beamed brightly as she brought her hair up to point at her hamster running on some kind of makeshift contraption she had made last night. Something she had been too bat shit tired to care to watch be produced and passed out through the conducting of it midway. “That would be Darla and me, of course- who else do you think I could be mentioning? We don’t know too many people aside from each other, and well- there’s Scorpia, but she doesn’t seem like the type to involve herself in her student’s affairs.”

Entrapta brought her hand up thoughtfully to rub at her chin before shuffling off to the side to grab her backpack and some empty folders for her class. Just seeing the tacky looking backpack made Catra grimace internally though, and not understanding what her roommate wanted. She let her attention follow her roommate around the room even though the backpack, which had various colors and animals printed onto it, hurt her eyes- who was she to grumble over others' taste in style? She could be considered basic by appropriate rights because- dark outfits and plain dark backpack with her name printed on it from when she got creative one night.

“So what do you say? I’d be really happy if you could so we can say we went to our first morning classes together. You don’t have that much longer till English interpreters class starts anyways. Could get some breakfast from vending machines till then.” It was true that she might have already been immensely pissy about being awake that early in the morning, but- something in her system sounded nice after going to bed on nothing but snacks that left her feeling really hungry and physically drained.

It couldn’t have been that healthy to live off ice cream and candies then the occasional ramen- but the vending machine wasn’t that healthy either, but it might hold her off until lunch. Fuck it. It’s not like she could fall back asleep comfortably with the time she had left until her alarm went off either, though. “You seriously gotta stop waking me up like this for really dumb things, but- whatever- not like I could sleep with you throwing stuff around and having not much time left before classes.” She might have not be honest to the point about how she felt- but she would have rather been doing something around the campus than laying there trying to sleep when the pressing thought of Adora and their conversation 

Their conversation from that night where Adora had found her disconnected from reality in the bathroom had been on a painful loop in her mind since she had left her there. She thought she could pinpoint any emotion from Adora that exposed her true feelings behind their conversation, but nothing would come to mind. Something that could clarify whether or not their conversation meant something to Adora like it had meant to her but- nothing but the image of sorrow and regret that painted her face that nice bubbled to mind. That was frustrating for other reasons than the simple fact that she might have wanted to keep talking to Adora for god knows whatever reason- yeah- cause she didn’t care either way.

Entrapa beamed in her spot when watching Catra stumble from her bed and down to her clothes, beginning to toss loose clothing from the box on the floor to look for something decent to wear. After a couple of tossed clothing onto the floor behind her, she settled for a black crop-top with skulls and black jeans that only slightly hid the fishnet, raising up her stomach and tying the hold outfit together. Of course, she combed her claws through her hair to undo some tangles from sleeping, but once she was sure her hair wasn’t sticking up, she put it in a pony and let her side bangs and middle to hang slightly over her face.

She was ready to face the world and leave her mark with this first day, and for once- she looked pretty hot and content with herself in the bathroom. If she didn’t drop jaws, she was sure she was making her own jaw drop. She smiled lightly and turned to face Entrapa, who was shoving carrots through the metal gates at her hamster and threw her backpack over her shoulder with her hip hung. “Alright dweeb, let’s head out to your class and crap. Stick close, or else you’ll lose your paid bodyguard.”

Entrapa shot her head up with her brows raised but opened her mouth when seeing Catra standing only a bit away from her then shut it quickly. “Paid bodyguard? I’m paying you?” Her confusion made Catra smirk more deviously as she lifted out her clawed hand and inspected her nails with disinterest and nodded her head. Nothing with her would ever come free, and the faster she learned that- the better for both their sakes.

“You give me your tablet for the evening, or I’m gonna leave for my own class without dropping you off.” She clicked her tongue when noticing from the corner of her eyes that Entrapa dropped the carrot she was holding.

“What?! How is that fair to my side of the agreement when all I wanted was you to stand beside me and ward people off?” Entrapa asked in disbelief

“Whatever your loss, peace dweeb.”

“Wait, Catra, can we-”

* * *

Morning students from both History and Biology classes weaved through narrow corridors of Bright Moon uni with caution thrown to the wind- their nerves on the higher end of the spectrum on finding where their classes were located. Their close proximity to each other bunching up groups of students to an almost uncomfortable extend that left Catra occasionally stumbling along. 

Frustration painted across her face when her thoughts were interrupted from the sensation of students from behind her accidentally stomping on the tip her tail that danced behind her in concentration. Fuck- she would lose her calm if another dead brained idiot did that for the second time since she made time to pamper that part of herself the most. Nobody deserved to trample all over her pride. It was far too early in the morning to lose her temper again and lose her shit on some students trying to find their classrooms.

Catra clenched her hand until her knuckles turned white to steady herself before looking over to her roommate beside her, who stood out- almost as much as she did for the argument she had with her old friend on campus. Entrapta clutched her satchel to her chest as though everything inside of it was a treasure, and someone would threaten to steal the contents. Catra had, of course, seen what was in the bag from their morning tussle and couldn’t understand the reasons behind Entrapta protecting her bag like that. Nothing about what she brought her seemed valuable enough to steal in the middle of campus and risk getting suspended or something.

Unless that person was incredibly dumb.

She mused over her strange roommate for another moment before redirecting her attention through the group of students ahead- searching for something that would let her know where they were in the buildings. It did not take much time nor effort though, as her attention focused on the bold letters above one room that determined they were approaching the Biology classroom. Her breath that she had been holding absentmindedly escaped her mouth as her shoulders leveled out from their tension- relief flooding her mind when she thought about leaving the biology building to somewhere familiar.

Catra had to admit that being surrounded around nerds was not something she had been anticipated that morning, but there she was with her roommate. She would soon be relieved of this mental burden and be surrounded around people who were more like depressed zombies who were already feeling college dread. That was something she could get behind without another thought on. Simple task- survive her language Interpretation then attend her first art class where paint would fill the air, and silence would blanket tired children. “Alright Entrapa- your stop has been almost reached, and that will be one tablet later- no taking that back, but even if you said no by this point, I’d take it when you’re at your night class.”

Entrapa looked defeated with her shoulders slumping at the thought of giving her precious tablet to her, but that was her problem- it wasn’t like she was going to throw it off some building and pretend like she tripped and fell. It would only be in the safety of their dorm and the comfort of her bed to do some digital drawings. Her hands had been itching to draw something digital since she had left the horde institution where she used to sneak into Scorpia’s room and use her computer to use the mouse to draw at first. It was fucking hard, but she did do digital art too growing up. Somehow. “Thanks for walking with me to class, I guess Catra.”

Catra snorted in response before she raised and brought her knuckles down over Entrapta’s head- ruffling the space between her pigtails for good measure and revenge for waking her up at the ass crack of morning. It was an affectionate action though, that made Catra feel like she was some sort of guardian for her roommate sending her off to kindergarten. “Whatever Entrapa, just don’t get kidnapped by some ‘nice’ college human who you think is cool because they talk to you. You’re too oblivious about bad people signs. Not everyone here will be your genuine friend.”

Her comment might have sounded harsh, but that was the truth- they were different from humans, and even though this was the place where people could learn to coexist. There would always be wolves in sheep clothing. Entrapa was annoying, but she didn’t deserve to get fucked over in some rather twisted hatred from years ago. She could feel her roommate using her hand to remove hers from her head with an embarrassed look on her expression and her brows furrowed in confusion. Catra would have teased her about her innocent oblivion to reality had not another high pitched voice from behind interrupted their conversation. 

Both of them redirected their attention to where they had heard the voice and came almost face to face with another girl about their height- her light pink hair drawing in their attention more over the other students who sauntered on past them. This stranger dressed in her light pink hoodie and sweat pants stood before them with her hip cocked out and her expression sour. “You’re in the way for the rest of the students you know? Hallway traffic is a real thing here.”

Confusion and frustration prickled the fur on her back while her ears pinned down at the insinuation thrown at them. It would have made more sense for someone to corner her like this back in the Horde Institution, but this was not the case here- her old peers who were ridden with envy weren’t here, so who was this? She had already been in some sour mood, and to have some random student attempt to pick a fight with her was not helping the case here. Who the hell did she think she was anyways, some princess who owned the school? “Who died and made you miss police officer of the hallway? Last I checked nobody- and to make things better- you’re the one holding us up by instigating shit and standing here with us. So excuse me, princess.”

Her stare hardened as she thought about being the mature one here, but- while her entire purpose in enrolling in Bright Moon Uni was to earn respect- she could not let some preppy glitter girl call her out like this. She looked the other girl up from her feet to her head before chuckling. “Looks like a clown did die though and made you in charge of the circus.” From behind her- Entrapta hid against her back while occasionally peeping her head out to stare at the other student before them in confusion. 

From behind Entrapta brought her hand up to tap onto her shoulder until her attention was bought from her prior intense and unyielding stare down with the preppy uni chick. There she noticed the uncomfortable look plastered on Entarpta’s expression as she shook her head at the idea of fueling a fight on their first day. It was reasonable enough to understand her roommate’s discomfort, but it made her even more frustrated that she would have to be the mature one- the one to back off from a fight with another random student. 

To be honest here she would have felt more calm about the situation had she known what even caused this dispute break out in the first place with a student she didn’t know- or unless she did know her somehow? But she didn’t right? Catra brought her attention from her roommate once more and back to the smaller girl in front of them when she spoke up again with an impatient tone. “You are genuinely infuriating and denser than I thought the first time we met! I was nice the first time but after all the crap you’ve pulled so far on Adora? You can consider us not on good terms right now. I don’t understand how Adora use to- even be grouped up with you.” 

Adora? That damn name again. 

Catra felt her face heating up in anger at the insult as she gripped her nails into her hands, flaring her nostrils and bearing her canines in this strange hot-tempered girl’s direction. “Who the fuck are you, and why are you so pissy? I’m sorry, but I don’t remember sticking that stick so far up your ass, and how do you know Adora or me?” Her patience for this escalating situation was growing thin, and she could barely hold her urge to pounce this stranger down, but that disbelief on her expression made it.so.damn. Hard.

“Her friends from that day you decided to push her off and threaten all of us. Glimmer. I don’t even know why I’m bothering when you never even tried being nice to Adora, so why should I to you? Not even the courtesy to respond to her messages after she wanted to talk more with you? God such a freaking jerk- why my mother let people like you into here I’ll never understand, now move please.” Catra felt her anger get blown out the window along with her balance almost as Glimmer nudged past them into the same class as Entrapta without saying another word to them.

Catra could feel every muscle in her body react to this fight or flight moment she was thrown into without much warning- she could describe this negative emotion she felt bottling up in her stomach as feeling completely played there by life. It was the biggest fuck you to start off her morning again- because everything misses sparkles or Glimmer- whoever they were- insinuated was like she wasn’t the one who hadn’t been waiting to receive some kind of message from Adora letting her know that she actually still wanted to talk to her. She then had the audacity to walk off from the argument like she had been the bigger person from the start.

Bullshit! That entire argument was unnecessary and held on biased emotions that did not even include her own! She could feel warmth in her palm from where her nails were dug into the skin, and she inhaled through her nose to calm herself down- her roommate behind her boring her cornered gaze into her skull and suggestively tugging at her backpack. Catra turned her head around to for the first time notice students were circling their group- staring curiously at the fight that almost broke out because- of course- god damn college students would always love their fair share of drama. Still, she refused to be one of them that morning again.

Catra without another thought on their surroundings- adjusted her backpack on her shoulder more secure and cleared her throat to snap the others out their trances. Their disappointment be screwed- she would not be some rat to be watched with her roommate right there behind her. “Whatever- I don’t care what the hell they think right now. She was the one who started, and regardless I’m not gonna be trampled on by some sparkling pink girl early in the morning. If she messed with you in class, let me know or ignore her. I don’t care. Just be safe or whatever. I have to get going before I’m late for my class.” She brought her free hand to her hair and combed it down instinctively, using it like some pacifying moment before she stared back at her roommate- her expression disconnected from their reality. 

Catra wanted nothing more than to storm off in frustration but her roommate not letting her backpack go held her grounded there beside the door- she looked unsure about something before she broke their silence. “Thanks again Catra for everything- and- don’t break my tablet later alright?” Her innocent plead was louder than her actions when she offered her smile up in Catra’s direction.  The tablet, that’s right- she was there to reap the benefit of being able to use her roommate’s tablet for the night and she had almost forgotten till this dummy of a roommate had to remind her. She guessed she wasn’t the only person in this campus who couldn’t express their emotions right.

Catra brought up her shoulders to shrug as she could feel Entrapta hesitant to let go of her backpack before she chuckled without much meaning. “Whatever, sure. I’ll wrap it up in bubble wrap before throwing it off the dormitory roof tonight for my own personal experiment, ‘can Entrap’s insane builds survive a 20-foot fall?’” She heard Entrapta gasp, but she began strolling off without looking back to see that expression of disbelief because she could already picture it- and it made her mood a little bit better. She just had to survive the trip back to her wing of the campus and do her minor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, and welcome to another chapter of my story, everyone! Sorry about not posting this one after so long, and like I could come up with plenty of reasons why It wasn’t posted until now, but- the simple fact was it was complete and simply sitting in my documents waiting to be posted. Regardless I still finally and resuming the story at the normal pace, hopefully, because the next chapter shouldn’t be too long as this one. 
> 
> Nothing much else to say besides enjoying the chapter and, like always- shameless promotion because I’m not getting younger.  
> Twitter: FreakHypnosis


	7. Laughing Feels Good

Sauntering through narrow corridors that would open into numerous doors for business-oriented students and at the end of those halls- her classroom for her morning language interpreter lesson. Her satchel slung over her shoulder, slid down to the crook of her arm as Catra brought herself to in front of the decent-sized door to peer through the small glass. Her classroom was only half-filled with other students who chose the same elective when registering with the university- all who looked too bright and energetic for that early in the morning. “Nothing but early birds in there, and the teacher ain’t even there yet. Sheesh. Not my cup of tea.” 

Catra hauled her satchel onto her back once more after getting off the tip of her toes and looked to the large clock hung on the wall down the hall. She had about 15 minutes to spare until her class would officially start, so that would offer enough time to find something to eat. That idea sat better in her chest rather than barging into a classroom full of early birds who would look at her like the early worm. Catra shuddered at the thought of their stares drilling into her had she chose to walk into the classroom without checking as she had. 

Dramatic much about that? It would be up for debate another time if she were overreacting, but she was genuinely hungry and thirsty right now though. It wasn’t that much of time-wasting though to have come to the classroom early to check out what kind of people she would be dealing with in the future. She could sleep in longer knowing their teacher wasn’t part of their early morning bird gang nor the other half of the students that still weren’t there. She had been  _ at least _ awake and in the general area of the classroom, unlike the rest of the students- their teacher, though? Catra grimace as she turned on the soles of her feet and began walking in the opposite direction of the classroom to their break and snack vending area. 

Couple doors down that all appeared identical to the one before it- Catra caught sight of their lounging area with potted plants aligning the walls with vending machines between each couple of plants. Tables and sofas loitered the middle of the floor while on-campus meals from the kitchen staff were being distributed to students through their organized lines. Both familiar and unfamiliar scents from homemade recipe meals being served to students left Catra feeling disorganized as she could feel her stomach rumbling in protest and desire. It must have understood that getting into this esteemed university was her only remarkable feat while her pockets were dreadfully empty. 

Catra brought her hand up to hold onto her satchel strap and dug down her nail until the pressure gave out underneath the dull edges of her nails and punctured the fabric. Humans, more well off than others, sat in groups around one another, sharing meals over conversation while occasionally gossiping about those around them. So god damn annoying. It was at these moments her better hearing made her consider tearing off her ears and feeding them to those loud bastards. That would have landed her one free exit out of the university though so maybe she could for graduation. Not now though, of course. 

Catra forced her attention from other groups, and onto the vending machine, sat in the far corner far from any social interaction she could awkwardly land herself into. She pressed her lips thin when feeling sighs build up in her chest before carefully padding over to the vending machine without another thought- fishing into her pockets for some loose change to use for the machine. It wasn’t much of the struggle she thought it would be though to find some wrinkled up bills and came to stand in front of the vending machine, browsing her options in distaste. 

Behind her, she could feel the marble floor beneath her when her tail would bat down against it in agitation at her limited options for breakfast. Nothing but sweets and sugars- not appealing choices for someone who hadn’t eaten in the past 24 hours real meals, but- she had to get something in her system to make her morning seem less pointless. Catra could feel her chest rumbling as she leaned closer to the glass to browse her options more thoroughly before snarling in defeat. Against her better judgment, she inserted her money and pressed option three- blueberry muffins. “Better than nothing, I guess... Cheap damn machine and cheap fucking institution sending out their supposedly destined  _ prodigy _ with so little monthly pocket money..”

Catra snorted in impatience as she brought her arms over each other and tapped on the inside of her arm as she listened to the machine rumble to life as it went to work, grabbing her muffin- then dispensing it down beneath the metal door lower down. “How the hell does anyone expect someone like me to live off like $150s a month for outdoor living spendings? Cheapskate hag must want me to die of boredom or starve.” Catra knitted her brows down in more frustration that the mention of their second in command elder- Shadow Weaver- before she squat down enough to push the metal door open and retrieve her morning meal that had been waiting for her inside. All be damned by that point in the morning- she wanted nothing more than this sugar-filled muffin even if it tasted like shit right at that moment. 

She brought herself back up from the position she had been squat in and in an unconscious habit- stuck out her tongue as she fumbled with the plastic containing her muffin before the heckles on her neck raised up. It had gone overhead that someone had made their way over to behind her and was now humming awkwardly behind her before they cleared their throat. It caught her off guard completely- almost enough for her to lose focus on her task in her hands and drop her muffin. Great. Who the fuck wanted to mess with her now when she wanted to eat something then go to class peacefully without murdering someone? 

Her charcoal furred ears roused from her hair before being laid against her head in even more frustration from failing to open her muffin and being snuck up on and interrupted by god knows who this time. She hummed absentmindedly to acknowledge the person behind her before turning on her feet without much rush to face her bothersome newfound company. Fuck. Of course. She could feel her breath escaping from her lungs, and whatever frustration and anger that should have been there was completely washed over by astonishment when her heterochromia eyes met clear blue ones. 

Her mouth was unbearably parched at that moment as she forced down whatever lump that had formed in the back of her throat down and licked at her chap lips- hoping that would ground her thoughts or her beating heart. She couldn’t understand if her fight or flight instincts were kicking in to make her chest feel this tight, but she was getting carried off by the emotions- her muffin smushed against her chest like she had been guarding it for dear life. She could feel Adora looking her up and down before chuckling at her weird predicament of clutching some random muffin for dear life- making her cheeks feel like they were on fire before she heard Adora speak up for the first time. “Catra? Are you alright? You do know nobody has any plans of stealing your food from you here on campus when we’re in daytime and stuff, you know?” 

Her shoulders loosened when hearing that familiar husky tone that might have been meant to tease her but-in that moment- hearing her act as though nothing had happened between them did not elicit the anger it should have. She should have been angry and ready to tear limbs off this built woman who ignored her and toyed with her emotions, and despite that- here she was- devoid of emotion and left feeling her knees threaten to break underneath her own weight.

She carefully removed her muffin from against her chest and offered a small glance down to inspect to the smudged mess before back to Adora with a fixation on that indistinguishable smile. Catra straightened her shoulders to look normal before clearing her throat and speaking up in response. “What? Oh- yeah, hey Adora. Fancy meeting you here during my predatory stalkings, were you thinking of partaking in the prey category?” 

Her question made Adora stare down at her incredulously for a minute, but that minute left shudders to run down her spine from sheer embarrassment. Fuck had she really said something that dumb? She must have sounded insane in front of the woman she was meant to be upset with for ignoring her- for ignoring her efforts and desires to rekindle something meaningful between them. It could be considered astonishing to her how much this woman could leave her a complete mess had her thoughts not been discombobulated. 

Her thoughts were spiraling down into nothing when she was brought back to reality from Adora pushing past her to the vending machine offering cold brew cans of coffee, ignoring her presence from the seems to browse her morning drink options. It still hurt to be ignored though, after saying something and not getting an answer even though her question might have been weird. She felt bitter somewhere down in her chest, but she would steel herself to remain indifferent about her surroundings or situation. “Right good catching up like most times with you, Adora, but I’m gonna head on out so you can peacefully do whatever you’re doing.”

No matter how much she could steel herself to appear nonchalant about being around this woman who plagued her thoughts for countless hours now- she could feel her emotional barriers breaking down by the minute. She had to escape from the emotional threat that holding her heart hostage before something like what had happened when they first met recently happened again. That or whatever remaining happiness buried down somewhere deep in her chest from their last conversation was shattered back in reality that she didn’t matter to Adora and trampled over her leftover rational side.

She tightened her hold on her muffin at the thought before turning to leave the area with haste, but like most times- her legs would not push further forward when her name from the woman behind her rang through the stifling air. “Catra, wait a minute before you leave, please- I wanted to ask you something, and then after that, I will take the hint and leave you alone for real.”

Fuck- Fuck, of course; she wouldn’t be able to ignore that plead to listen to her one more time if it could extend their time together for even a second longer- even knowing these last couple of seconds could potentially destroy her heart. Hearing her name left her feeling nauseous to her stomach from excitement and fear for what was to come but- the knot in her throat left her speechless to the point she could barely force out a hum and glanced behind her slightly.

She stood stoic for a moment- waiting for the inevitable to happen, but when nothing came out further from Adora behind her- her neves were on the breaking end. Just what the hell did she want when she was trying the damn hardest to be the bigger person in their situation and walk off without confrontation? Could Adora not tell that she was nothing more than some ticking bomb by that point waiting to be denotated by something she said, or did she want to firmly crush her remaining fantasy they could be friends again maybe? First, she claims that she was still someone important to her, and then she ignored her for the past two days without any messages from her despite their conversation- god, why was this so complicated?

Catra bit onto the bottom of her lip and hesitated for a moment before turning her head to the side to make eye contact with Adora, who again- the second time- looked defeated and begging for her to stay there. “What do you want now, Adora?” Her tone had less menace than she desired it to have, and instead, she sounded exhausted and fragile like glass- was that really her own voice at that moment? Catra stared with intent at Adora as she fumbled with the buttons on the vending machine before tensing when her drink dispensed down beneath the metal door.

Her heterochromia colored eyes focused down her toned shoulders and to her lower tail bone where her blue printed Bright Moon uni shirt hitched up her skin- leaving Catra to feel as though her breath became hitched in the back of her throat. Damn. Under other conditions where the atmosphere wasn’t cold and sharp enough to slice through butter in an instant- she would have relished in the sight and praised whoever the body belonged to. But this was Adora- the little girl she had grown up with and never thought about in such a light besides maybe an annoying sister and years later though- Adora had really become something worth her wandering gaze.

Catra could feel her face burning up underneath the light of where her thoughts were wandering about her old best friend and forced herself to look back up at Adora’s face turning in her direction with her drink. That still did nothing though to help calm the nagging feeling of her stomach doing multiple flips in exhilaration and anxiousness. “I’m sorry- I didn’t think this far to be honest because I mean… You’ve done nothing but put up difficult fights against willingly talking to me, and I thought you would do the same this time too- but you’re not even trying to do that this time are you?”

For another moment, she remained standing there in silence since Adora’s approach to some bigger insinuation had Catra feeling perplexed. She could feel her feet grounded to the floor beneath them though, as she paid close attention to Adora toss the unopened drink back and forth from her palms- like some ball from the football team that she was warming up before the game. “Adora, had I really had the energy this morning, you better bet your lucky ass I would have either clawed your face off then high tailed it out of the country without another thought but- count today as your luckiest day alive because your little pink friend already drained what little energy I had this morning.”

Mentioning her friend from earlier that morning piqued the interest and confusion on Adora’s expression as she ceased whatever nervous antics of tossing her drink around and furrowed her brows. It made her feel frustrated that there was some distrust behind Adora’s stare towards her, but she would not let that emotion shine through like everything else she couldn’t have controlled that moment. She needed some control in this situation to not feel lost more than she already did in these moments. “You meet up with Glimmer this morning?”

Her tone was dangerous like someone had gathered up the most venomous snakes and poured them all into one person and, of course, that one person had to be Adora. This had to have been her first time being underneath such the scrutinizing stare of her prior best friend, and this was not something she thought Adora was capable of- to send goosebumps up one's spine with one look. Catra gathered up her fleeting courage that was being devoured by the woman in front of her and nodded sheepishly. “When did you meet her this morning- I don’t understand what you mean because how did you meet Glimmer then me all in one morning? No, erase that- did you both enroll in Biology or something, and if so, why are you over here? Is she alright? You didn’t do anything to hurt her, right, Catra?”

Adora and her oncoming barrage of questions caught Catra off guard for the second time that moment as with every question thrown; their distance was being shortened by this tone built woman who had been her childhood friend. It left her staring mouth gaping and her balance on her feet, threatening to throw her down as she stumbled back, clutching her satchel straps for dear life while doing her best to feign innocence. Too much passive aggression for one morning, and she had to cut Adora off before she got close enough to hear how hard her heart was beating possibly. 

Careful not to hurt Adora on accident- Catra retracted her nails from her satchel straps and placed her open palm on Adora's shoulder to stop her from getting closer and lowered her ears in exhaustion. "Breathe for a minute, Adora. You might faint from all the accusations you're throwing at me so early in the morning when it was her fault for stomping up on my roommate and me early in the morning like that. I mean, if you want to tell her thanks for waking me up more than I was be my guest, but thankfully we did not enroll in the same classes; otherwise, she might not have walked off without some scratches as a reminder. I had to drop my roommate off for her morning class, but I'm in the Language interpreters class. Any more questions?" 

Her natural sarcastic nature was in full gears from the moment she had ceased Adora's advances forward and had spoken, but that did not create any falter to Adora's mood at that moment. She instead stared questionably at her for a minute before noticeably relaxing and then brightening up once more- the mood of their surroundings feeling less heavy and nerve-wracking from her mentioning her morning class. "Sorry about that. I can sometimes be very protective of her, but she- I don't understand why she did that to you, and I'll ask her later about it, but-you're in the language interpreter class too this morning? That's amazing, Catra! I didn't honestly think you would be interested in that kind of thing because um- regular people- but I mean, that's still great because I'm in that class too!" 

Blurting out her words faster than her brain could process her tone volume resulted in nothing more than gathering the distant attention of other students who had been attempting to eat their meal or have conversations- and left Adora feeling self-aware after calming down for a minute to inhale deeply and cover her mouth. Catra couldn't help but chuckle underneath her breath at the sight of her old best friend turning bright red on her cheeks and ears while furrowing her brows in remorse and frustration that she had been caught laughing at her. "Sorry, I mean- that's great, that's really great. I wanted to talk to you, but I was; I wasn't sure how or where I could find you again, but- here you are. I'm glad." 

That was incredibly comforting- laughing with someone who she had once considered someone she could trust to be there for her no matter their ranks, but of course, she had to remind her things were not the same anymore between them. Things were different, and she was supposed to be upset with Adora because- Adora ignored her- Adora didn't care as much as she did about reigniting their lost friendship like she had, and despite that- something didn't make something click with their stories here because why was she looking for her when she had her number? Fuck, this was too complicated, and it felt like life had decided to throw them constant curveballs like in some poorly written book. "What do you mean you weren't sure where to find me? Don't you like... Didn't you like get my number and... I dunno- tossed it or something. Why would you wanna find me?"

Adora stood there still only mere inches from being pressed against her staring incredulously at her accusation before she violently shook her head- struggling openly in an attempt to collect her thoughts and put them properly into coherent sentences. That was from the seems of it though- not enough to gather her words well enough because, in the next minute, Adora had been clumsily fumbling around through her pockets until she pulled out her phone. It was still the same case from that night; their first heart to heart conversation took place, and still tacky as all hell. Enduring though unlike most tacky items or outfits, other people could have shown her though. 

Catra waited with an unusual amount of patience as Adora turned on her phone and mumbled to herself about certain unknown things while scrolling around it for a hot minute. It might have been the most interesting thing that could happen after leaving their vending area, so what much could she had to lose than sticking around to uncover some foreign mystery behind this woman. It did not take long either before Adora extended her phone, facing her towards her like she had won some price without knowing so and what it showed was confusing. Some unknown number with messages that were lined up nicely before her. 

Catra squinted over the messages for a minute before looking at the user ID and knitting her brows down further in disbelief at the concept that Adora had her number- that much could be seen from numbers matching up- well, mostly matching up aside from one messed up number being wrong. Fuck she really had to go and eat the bullet that made her seem like the biggest asshole on planet earth! Adora had her number but messed it up by one digit! Of course, this would be the case! When has her anger or actions ever equaled up to being justifiable when brought to the light of things! 

**_Adora:_ ** _ Hey! Just got back to the dorm, and I hope you guys made it back safely too! I don't know who your friends are, but you made them sound cool.. Maybe we could pick this conversation up another time, or maybe all hang out and clear the air up! _

**_Adora:_ ** _ I know I texted you like- maybe 3 hours ago, but I wanted to make sure everything was alright over there. This is annoying, isn't it? I hope not. Just, hey. _

**_Adora:_ ** _ So yesterday, yeah? Glimmer suggested we all hang out sometime soon since we only have one more day of break before classes really start! What did you think? Text me back soon! _

**_Adora:_ ** _ Catra..? It's been three or two days now... I can't tell if you're ignoring my messages or genuinely busy, but I wish.. _

**_Adora:_ ** _ I wish we could talk or you tell me what I'm doing wrong here…Please? _

Shit for all that was great- had she told Adora her phone number too fast, or had it been her own idiocy to expect this blonde fool to not fuck up this so royally that both of them once again had another miscommunication moment? It had to have been the latter because this was so- so Adora like- her rambling and clumsy fool she had known from the past. That thought for the second time that morning brought on a small smile to form on her face behind the safety of the phone in her face while Adora huffed, her cheeks burning bright red as though she had proven something worth of praise. “What on earth would make you think I would have tossed your number? I mean, of course, I would want to find you because, Catra, you could have at least told me then and there that you didn’t want to talk... I don’t want to lose you, but I need to know where I stand in your life and mine, and our conversation was never over.”

That heart tearing tone left Catra feeling speechless as she bit down onto her bottom lip and did her best to keep her face straight and not show everyone around them any sign of her emotions. It was hard though, when that familiar and yet distant sensation bubbling in her chest was threatening to spill out and make Adora think was not taking this seriously. I mean, was she really though when their situation once again was this chaotically amusing? That wasn’t entirely true either and especially when Adora started to pout in front of her unconsciously- and not any kind of half-assed pout but genuinely pouted like some kicked puppy in the alleyway with her lip puckered and her brows knitted.

This was something her heart nearly could barrel over from how absolutely deliciously cute it was in the moment because this was so- Adora. Catra removed her hands from Adora and her satchel to comb through her hair before her laughter finally broke through like the damn had lost underwater pressure, and she heaved over her knees with tears. It shook to her core in her stomach that she could barely even breathe as she tried her best to calm down from hysterical laughter before peeking up, noticing Adora glaring down at her in confusion and frustration. She must have appeared to have gone mad to others, but she did not care anymore- It felt great laughing like this. “God, we are really idiots who are good at mixing up each other’s signals. You’re so stupid- I can’t believe you texted some stranger probably some emotional ass text!”

Clearing up the air about what had brought on her laughter brought more confusion to Adora as her expression turned disbelief once more, and she pulled her phone from her face and to her own- inspecting the phone number listed with great detail until she frowned again. “You lost me about the moment you started laughing because I mean- I don’t understand what is happening because I thought this was your number this whole time. I thought you were avoiding me after that night and didn’t want to respond to me, so I assumed the worst, but- I’m so sorry I was really anxious. I did not mean to send those messages to you back to back or as much to you or well- not you, but. Someone, I guess now.”

Behind her phone Adora for the first time, that morning was not openly expressing her emotion. That made Catra feel uncomfortable herself since- people apologizing this much, and then going silent was not her forte. Before Adora could blurt out anymore, she decided to do something nice after groaning and snatching her phone from her hand and scrolling through her contacts without concern. She only paused when she would create another contact and input her own actual digits into the device. “I’m feeling generous today, so I will let you have another shot not to mess this up, alright? You should feel special because God- I don’t know why I bother with such annoying people in my life.”

Her comment earned an unsatisfied grunt from Adora, but that was something she could brush off without much consideration for it. She had from the moment they met- always been the one with snarky comments that Adora could ignore or playfully attempt to prove her wrong, but this was not the case this time, and thank God for that. Catra finished editing up her contact details to fit her preference then made haste in snapping a quick photo of herself as the profile picture and tossing Adora her phone back. “There, now you can’t possibly fuck that upright? Just some small, simple task- text the number named Catra, alright? No more texting strangers for you- and keep your friends on leashes. They’re more annoying than tiny dogs.”

Insinuating that her friends had been no better than annoying animals did make Adora shift around in her shoes as though she had wanted to defend Glimmer, but-she must have come to the better conclusion not to in consideration of who had instigated somewhat with her that morning. That had been easier than she thought it would have been when she did go a bit overboard with the insult, but if Adora moved on, she would as well.

Their conversation once more fell into an uncomfortable silence, but that had nothing to do with her and instead more so Adora, with her forlorn expression returning to her face as she fumbled with her drink. She must have been building up her confidence for something because, in the next minute, Adora was pressing closer again, tilting her head and her eyes brimming with some foreign emotion as she looked down on her. God, this close contact was going to make her heart pound out her chest, and she would have pushed her away had she not heard that innocent and soft voice whispering out to her in affection. "Did you think this whole time I was ignoring you? Is that why you were acting all mad and distant when you first saw me again this morning?"

This caught Catra off guard as her face and neck had already been burning to the touch at the proximity between them, and of course, now her hidden emotions were being revealed without warning? Fuck that! Catra scoffed at the insinuation with her ears pinned against the back of her head in embarrassment before she raised her own hand and swatted Adora away. "What- I- No! That would be stupid because I didn't even care whether or not you texted me! I have better things to do any whine over some big blondie that looks like she's part of the jock club." Catra could feel her ears flutter at the sound of Adora laughing before cracking open her coffee, taking her first sip, and then winking when catching Catra staring.

"Big blondie in some Jock club? Is that supposed to be insulting because if you ask me- that sounds like the best compliment I could get from someone in such denial. Although I'm genuinely glad to know I wasn't the only one who had been feeling really down about our mix up." Adora clenched her drink close to her chest to stare down at it in thought before she brought up her stare up to Catra and smirked when noticing Catra rolling her eyes at the teasing before she cleared her throat. "I might have expressed this enough already, but I'm really happy we ran into each other and sorted out the situation because uhm- I was wondering if you maybe wanted to uh- walk with me to class and make it less boring than it most likely will be?"

Uncertainty plagued her tone as her hold on her coffee tightened until the can was crushing underneath her force, and despite that- Adora let that dorky and innocent smile sit on her lips as though it would play into her decision. Catra was sure that Adora knew that had she truly not wanted to spend more time with her though- nothing would have convinced her to come along, but denial aside, Catra had really wanted nothing more than to hang around Adora and learn of all the changes. This boiling emotion had been sitting dormant in her chest from the second time the reunited, but now she could act on these feelings. Catra bit down onto her bottom lip with pinned ears, before shrugging her shoulders and adjusting her backpack. "I mean, I don't really care much, either way, not like I had anything else to do right now until class starts, so might as well entertain it."

Beating around the bush might not have been the approach in mind, but it was enough to get her message across to Adora. That left them both staring at each other incredulously before Adore broke that moment from nodding her head and tilting her head back to down the rest of her drink. Whatever was left in her can of coffee was crushed in the can and tossed into the nearest trashcan beside them with precision before striding on ahead of them- whatever nervousness there prior thrown out the window like her drink. That left only Catra to dwell in her confused emotions before she heard Adora call out to her expectantly while peering over her shoulder to nudge her head to insist for her to follow suggestively.

Catra held her ground for another moment even after the signal for her to follow as her lips curled up into an unnoticeable smile from the corner of her lips. She readjusted her satchel over her shoulder before casually making her way over to behind Adora, other students sneaking peeks at the pair that was already becoming well known by the student bodies. That was not their business nor problem though. Catra was merely for once genuinely content with being beside Adora after all the years alone and fighting for her top ranks and survival. She could spare some time to relax like this, right?

* * *

Sitting casually in their chairs in the middle of the lecture hall, both Adora and Catra made worth of their time in different manners as the teacher wrote introductions out on the chalkboard. It was nothing that was worth focusing on for Catra since it was nothing but basic essential reviews over the information they would be going over through the semester there. Unlike Catra though who had been doodling on the side of her notebook- Adora had been actually writing down notes as though it had been the most crucial information one could gather from some middle-aged woman.

What could have been more cruel to your sleep-deprived students than coming on time to your first class only to come to the conclusion you could have truthfully missed out on the first-class and still had high grades. It would have been far too late though, to dwell on what could have been another couple hours of sleep and instead focused on the blonde beside her with interest. This Adora beside her was something familiar to her and left her chest feeling warm because of the idea that- no matter how much time passes, this one thing might never change.

For the remainder of her life span, Adora would most likely never drop her obedient child personality even when no matter how much of the subject she had already probably mastered- Adora wrote down notes on the subject with great details. Younger Adora had used to claim that writing down the details was to ensure that she would not forget to revise for later dates or needed memory joggers. It might not have been magic, but this Adora- the perfect student who replaced her weaknesses with knowledge brought back fond memories.

These memories had left Catra feeling absentminded and high on nostalgia as her unsheathed nails pattered against the wooden table underneath her while her other hand twirled her pencil on the side. It was such an unbearable amount of silence in the classroom aside from her soft tapping and the teacher writing things on the board. None of this was necessary, so what would have been the point to listen to something she already knew when her childhood friend was right here- after so many years- by her side. Catra heaved out another soft sigh as her right each twitched at the noises of pencils writing things down before she peered over to her left at Adora- admiring her side profile with her sharp cut jawline.

God, when had that chunky cheeked little princess grow up? There was so much there that had not been there beforehand, and being older by only a bit meant nothing now with their height difference. Should someone ever ask if the sight of her old best friend would stop stealing her breath anytime soon; she would deny that claim because Adora was breathtaking. No denial behind that fact, but she would deny paying this close of attention to someone she was supposed to hate for betraying her, but Adora made that so difficult. Small details such as those golden locks of hair cascading down onto her cheek only to be tucked back behind her ear when they got too much in her face and covered those vast blue eyes. 

Had Adora not been focused on her notes- Catra had been damn near sure she would once again drown in those eyes because no matter what, she would never be ready for that unruly ocean behind them. It did not even ease up the knotted sensation in her stomach when recalling those deep stares Adora had been targeting her to earlier that morning because of god. Catra grunted at the direction her thoughts were heading and stopped twirling her pencil until she could press the tip down hard against her blank sheet of paper and began scribbling out some sloppy notes.

She made haste of her actions before her train of thoughts lead to unfamiliar territory and that for some reason, petrified Catra- but her thoughts were running faster than her own hand could write down the note. She needed some distraction for fuck sake, but what distraction could she get when she knew nobody other than the cause of her mental turmoil. It couldn’t have been something normal people thought about or the fact that she considered her old best friend absolutely attractive when she was hurt from their history together still!

Frustration and interest were boiling in her stomach as she folded up the note into some small makeshift airplane. Catra waited a moment when she was sure their professor wasn’t looking in their direction before chucking her creation at Adora- hitting her successfully square on the side of her head and smiling at the collision. Chaos was a great distraction still, no doubt about that. She could have handled or slid the note to Adora, but where was the fun in that when she could get Adora all frustrated and riled up over nothing?

Her makeshift airplane collision had enough force behind it to make Adora tense up in her seat- startled and confused about what had happened before her stare shot up from her work and all around the classroom until they eventually landed on the cause. Catra. That expression of disbelief was more rewarding than she thought it would have been because she offered her the most innocent and smug smile possible before pointing down and over to the fallen aircraft. It was laid out dormant beside her elbow by this point, but Adora did not need another hint as she grumbled and quirked up her brow. It was clear she needed more convincing, so Catra whispered over to Adora softly with a wink. “You should check out what caused the crash unless you wanna pay up for plane damages.” 

Her comment made Adora squint in hesitation towards her before redirecting her attention to exactly where Catra wanted her to look. Adora set down her pencil on the side of her paperwork, grabbed the fallen craft, took her time to open up the paper, and inspect the note inside. Score one for her so far. 

**_You’re looking pretty serious over there and all but hey girl, do you come here often because if so, that’s kinda low key nerdy buuut if you don’t; wanna consider ditching this lame class and go raid some unsuspecting preppy chicks and dudes?_ **

After thoroughly inspecting the note- Adora knitted her brows close together in more disbelief at how lame the note really was, but when attempting to write notes with your mind was racing in directions, it should not be near. It could be more complicated than it sounds. Catra, without another care in the world, leaned back against her seat when feeling the judgemental stare of Adora peering daggers into her. It would have been the most satisfying thing getting those murderous stares from Adora had she not raised her fist and punched her in her upper shoulder with most of her strength. 

Damn it for all that was great on their planet! She might have been the most agile and advanced in magic, but she could not handle physical rebuttals from any of her bigger friends- and Adora was one of them for sure. Catra nearly bit down onto her tongue as her nails dug into the desk in front of herself to hold her from falling in the opposite direction of the punch with a grunt. She could feel each heckle on the back of her neck, prickling up as her attention rushed over to Adora to watch as she peacefully combed her hair behind her ear and started writing something on the paper. It took nothing more than a couple of seconds before she lamely slid the piece of paper back over to Catra.

**_Catra you know you’re right next to me you know? Passing notes is suppose to be for like when you’re not right beside me.. Not that I’d encourage you to be getting either of us in trouble on the first day further than we kinda have with our reputation._ **

Mentioning their reputation that had been already established on their first morning on campus made Catra snort before raising her tail to brush over Adora's ankle- making her nearly hop out of her seat from confusion. That was more like it and much more fair since she had decided to punch her when she was doing nothing but writing notes out. Catra leaned on her elbows over in Adora's direction to murmur underneath her breath the get her attention again. She must have had enough though, because her nonsense murmurs were ignored until she used her tail to tap against Adora's ankle incessantly suggestively. "Yeah, I could have gotten your attention the lame way, but I wanted to have some spice to it that involved planes and crashing them."

After some incessant tapping on her ankle- Adora gave in and kicked her tail away from her leg before rolling her eyes and momentarily staring away from the chalkboard and writing her notes much slower than she had been originally. "But in the end, you still ended up actually just talking to me, so what was the point of your letter again, Catra?" After asking her question, she redirected her attention back to the teacher. She continued noting things down that the teacher was talking about, but- Catra didn't mind this because she was happy just to communicate with Adora like this.

Catra wrapped her tail around her own leg absentmindedly before she resumed tapping her nails against the desk in front of herself. "Well, originally, I wanted to keep it to the notes, but you seemed to wanna hear my voice, and I mean, I can't keep our princess waiting too long." Her smug comment made Adora pause with her shoulders taunted while her pencil pressed down against the paper for one whole minute before she resumed writing with some grunt and grumbles in distaste for the nickname she had gotten from when they were kids.

“You should get new nicknames, Catra; Princess has gotten to have outgrown me now, you know? I’m not some little girl anymore if you somehow- managed not to notice my physical growth.” Catra could hear the embarrassment in her tone at the comment but understanding if she had accidentally upset Adora or not was harder to tell when her hair cascading down past her face blocked most of her vision. She did notice the unfocused gestures down her well-toned figure to emphasize her point that she had without a doubt in mind- grown into an older and more mature woman over the years.

Catra at the moment thought nothing of the comment until her stare wandered down with those pale hands that had been awkwardly attempting to show off their owner's growth. She could feel her heart embedding itself into the back of her throat while her nails unconsciously kneaded into the desk once more, where she had already made grooves into. This had been something she had been attempting her damnedest to ignore because who once again had such embarrassing thoughts about their old best friend and her growth and curves? Could this be classified as excitement at the sight? Maybe but it left her feeling uncomfortable in her seat as she did her best to hide her lingering stare and relax.

"Yeah, whatever you say, Princess- You might have grown up, but some things about you probably will never change, and one of them being the obvious thing. You're like some preppy little princess following out the rules." Catra hated nothing more than how out of breath her comment came out sounding but like some cornered and caged lion in her chest- she could not keep her cool at that moment, but fuck. That still had come out harsher than she had made it sound in her head, and she regretted that more than being unable to conceal her confusing excitement.

On the other hand, Adora caught onto her comment quickly and knitted her brows together in slight frustration at her complaint being brushed to the side as she had done. Fuck, she might as well have been marked off as the biggest asshole on the planet because no matter how content she was, her big mouth ruined the moment- or so that was what she thought until she noticed Adora straightening her shoulders. It left an almost suffocating atmosphere between them as she, for the first time, lowered her pencil to the desk completely and turned to face her with an unreadable expression plastered on her face. "Are you challenging me right now, Catra? Because I can be just as 'bad' as you can be if not better as the villain."

Something about this atmosphere was undeniably suffocating from both the intense stare from Adora and the unruly beat of her heart buried in her throat. She might have for the first time bit off more than she could have realistically chewed before choking on it because for the billionth time- she was speechless. This had not been the response she could have ever imagined Adora coming up with, and here she was being led around in circles on the tightest leash. This Adora before her was not the one who would have whined or cried but instead provocative and daring when met with her unyielding personality.

Catra could feel each individual goosebump on her arms, forming with the minutes passing as Adora leaned closer- dangerously closer until she could feel her breath nearly tickling the front of her nose and washing her thoughts clear. Just what the hell was happening here between them? Was this something normal between older friends? Shit, Catra could not process any of this nor think clearly, and towards the brink of her thoughts breaking completely with Adora this close- She could feel Adora punching her directly in her shoulder again and earned an unexpecting grunt and shout. "Ouch, what the fuck, Adora!"

Her shouting had been loud enough to gather the attention of all their peers around and even their professor who had stopped their lecture and turned to face to the duo. It had left everyone turning in their seats to see what had caused the disruption only to see Catra with her ears pinned and rubbing her shoulder while Adora stared at Catra with wide eyes. Meanwhile, their professor crossed their arms with and sigh before calling out both their names and pulling them from their stupors- startling both Catra and Adora more than they had already been by that point from each other.

"Adora and Catra, correct? Could you please spare class time to focus on the material I took the time to gather up for this class and fool around in the back of the classroom, please? There are other students here who want to learn, and there are other places that are better for roughhousing than here." Their professor calling them both out in such an exasperated tone made some of the other students snicker from the middle row, which made Catra fluff out her tail and straighten up in her seat, embarrassed to the core at the noise she had made in front of the whole classroom.

On the other hand, Adora leaned back into her seat with her face turning redder than any kind of tomato as she apologized to their professor- but Catra would be damn to result to admitting she was sorry when she had suffered the worst time of embarrassment because of Adora. She was thankful though, that the teacher seemed to have accepted only one apology and continued to face the board and resume their lesson without more to say.

From the moment their teacher caught them acting like adolescent preteens with each other was the moment Adora and Catra both became silent even with each other in uncertainty about what had even happened between them. It was an electrifying moment that neither could pinpoint the emotions behind them, but after some time of their silence, she let Catra think- she could feel her racing heart calming down once more. This was ridiculous, and being caught by their teacher was the cherry on top that made her chuckle underneath her breath until she noticed Adora glaring over at her in confusion.

That expression on her face though made her chest bubble up more than it already was in that moment though, and she chuckled even more until even Adora couldn’t conceal her smile and small laughs. This was so stupid, and despite that, this was great. This felt normal and comforting for the first time in forever, and this was not something she would have ever thought could become her normal again. Laughing here this morning with Adora was- it was an incredibly good feeling. 


	8. Please Understand Me

Casual mornings would come and leave without much drama to trail in pursuit of them as countless messages exchanged from her and Catra had been her primary source of motivation for coming busy mornings or so on. Their communication had too, of course, gone without any hitches in their road of redemption to each other, and despite that- there were still some uncrossable barriers between them both that neither had the nerve to cross and resolve anytime soon. One of those prominent barriers would have to be the already sour relationship between Catra and her two best friends she had grown up around after leaving the institution. 

It might have been one of her more focused problems that she had been attempting to clear up with Catra, but when that stubborn feline decided on someone- then well- that was the end of the conversation for anyone to convince her otherwise. That might have even been fine had none of this spurred from their own miscommunication that drew others into their messy relationship- the solution was simple, and even with that being explained to Catra- Nothing would budge in her reasoning, but she would continue to feel incredibly guilty about it all. Had she been more upfront and not over the top about their situation, this might have never happened to either group of people she cared dearly for and wanted to coexist together.

Maybe her guilt and determination to resolve their dispute herself was something others could determine as something selfish, but what would she have done otherwise if not be there for both groups of friends? This would officially be their first week dealing with the miscommunication from both sides, and neither wanted to work on anything involving the other side! Catra had already told her numerous times not to worry about her feeling hurt from the miscommunication, and to be honest- she probably didn't even care, and even with that being said- here she sat at her desk alone on Saturday, worrying like there was no tomorrow when her literature homework sat right in front of her.

She should have been finishing up her homework that was due Monday, but her mind would not cease the endless train of thoughts, and being alone in the dorm did not help that. She thought she would be fine on her own while Glimmer and Bow went out on their morning walk around campus and off it to pick up supplies for their movie night later- but this would not be the case here either as she used the front of her pencil to tap incessantly against her desk. Both of them would be out until sometime later, and Catra? She had no clue where she had went, but she wouldn't bother her again with this pointless worry when Catra had already said she didn't mind one way or the other.

Adora directed her attention from her half-done homework that stared back at her hauntingly and to the clock poorly hammered into the wall from her and Glimmer attempting to spice up their dorm room earlier that week and frowned. Ten minutes had gone on without her constant checking like she had been doing right after the duo left the dorm, but there was still not much time that had passed. Other than their movie night, there was not much else that any of them had planned for that Saturday besides lounging around on their couch or wandering around the campus until it was time for their horror movies to start at dusk. That thought made her uneasy for some reason as her leg underneath the desk was shaking beyond her control at the lack of control of her thoughts or spiraling emotions.

Adora brought up her hand to comb through her hair in exasperation since, from this point onward, all her thoughts were nothing but an anxiety-ridden mess regarding none other than Catra and the eternal fear of her walking out of her life again. Something about Catra though, was precious to her, and she was determined to see if they could repair what others- including herself- had thought would never have the chance at being repaired. She halted that thought and glanced down to her perfectly aligned and organized notes and homework before she relaxed her shoulders that were taut from her nerves being on the brim of running her mad.

Considering that every thought made was nothing more than conversations from previous interactions with Catra over the past week or when they were much younger. It must have been that figmative conclusion that this could be her own personal hell resort with burning five stars that stung which each memory- each laugh from that familiar voice that turned to nothing but shrill anger from her actions when she was younger. She would have been quite the train wreck to admit that these thoughts had no chilling effect on her at night or during the continuing days that came and left. 

Moments such as that morning where her own mind became her worst enemy were the most terrifying of all her anxiety problems because when your mind traps you in memories or thoughts- does time really exist, or do you merge with the past until nothing is left? She could never tell after her anxiety attacks had beaten her up and dropped her off in some random overwhelming place- scared and tired, but thankfully this morning, her saving grace would be the urgent vibrations coming from her phone that laid on her desk. Her reaction towards her smack back into reality could have been more graceful though, as when the source of her noise first went through her ears- it startled her enough to nearly break the lead of her pencil as she let it down and reached out to pull her phone over to it and check the caller ID. 

It was Perfuma. That wasn't what she had expected, to be honest, here since while she loved her friend, Perfuma was not all too keen on using the technology supplied to her out of the belief the world did better without them. Still, there could have been better moments Perfuma could have chosen to call her deliberately, but like most times, life had other things in plan for her even when her mind was so cluttered with thoughts of Catra. She had the option of brushing the call aside though. She could play it off as her being distracted from her homework, but something about ignoring her friends purposely did not sit right with her- so she, of course, decided against that and fumbled to answer.

Without another second to pacify her pounding heart, the sound of static came through the phone speakers loud enough that Adora had to recoil at the second round of static before she cleared her throat when it went quiet. "Hey there, Perfuma, what's up over there? Not often that I've gotten phone calls from you, but I am glad to see you're getting more comfortable with technology!" When met with more silence on the other end-, Adora shuffled uncomfortably in her seat before the sound of two female voices that she recognized finally came through her speakers. It sounded like quite the fierce muffled complaining on the other end though, and that, for some reason, made her sigh. "Adora here- Etheria to Perfuma- You called me on purpose right and not an accident, right?"

Once she said something, she could hear the other end of the phone call went silent until she could hear her youngest friend, Frosta that she had initially met from Perfuma, to begin with, speaking up over the phone. "Adora, there you are! This is Forsta- I'm using Perfume's phone because she couldn't figure out the buttons and muted the whole call for a minute. Sheesh. I couldn't sit there and watch all that confusion from her carry-out, so I took her phone for a minute. Are you busy right now?" Adora directed her attention on over to her phone in an attempt at deciphering what her younger friend had spat out faster than she was breathing over the phone before she chuckled. It could be expected that Frosta hung around Perfuma more, but this furthered everyone's question of if the two ever separated from each other. 

She could hear each frustrated groan on the other end of the line as she briefly smiled and adjusted herself into a more comfortable position in her chair with her phone snuggly placed between her shoulder and head. She could multitask while listening to the beginning of the chaotic meeting over the phone, and so she picked up her pencil in an attempt to resume writing down some notes and reading through her school book for science. "Frosta, that wasn't very nice, you know, even if she might not be as good with technology as us, you should be more patient with her, but to answer your question, no, not really- what's up with you guys? It's not rare to see you two together, but It's also not something typical to see either unless something important is happening or whatever." 

Her tender reminder on the topic that Frosta should continue learning to be more polite when addressing older individuals made her younger friend groan louder in annoyance but begrudgingly accepted the scolding. It wasn't hard though, to hear Perfuma in the background complaining to Frosta about something though, and that made Adora chuckle underneath her breath. It definitely takes more than even some time of knowing the duo to become used to their childlike parent bickering because the roles never were constant with them. While it might have been somewhat true that they hung out often- it was still somewhat confusing as to what they were up to right now during such rough school adjustments. 

Not to mention the most obvious problem in the situation. She would have had to been brain dead not to tell that there had been something more than Frosta pretty much using Perfuma's phone to contact Adora on their weekend when the pair would normally be hanging out together somewhere around town. Definitely not going to turn out to be your typical phone call unless they wanted to hang out-, and she highly doubted that would be the case. "Yeah, sure, but she's twice my age, so learning to not mute all the calls every single time is something you'd think she'd learn to do press on accident but wait a minute! I didn't call you to be scolded, and I already deal enough with that from my mom and Glimmer on the daily! We needed help with or different opinions regarding my school project I need to do!" 

Hearing the mention about school activities that had to be done for Frosta made Adora pause for a moment to glance down at her own hefty amount of school work she had to do. Nothing but one page had been completed since she had started this morning, and she knew that she should probably have declined and returned to it, but- this could have also possibly gotten her mind off the lingering thoughts of Catra. Procrastination was not something she would do on the daily, but one morning wouldn't kill her to take some time to help her friends, right?

Adora relaxed her shoulders to her side and against the back of her wooden chair before setting her pencil down and picking up her phone to pull it to her ear- going completely against her better judgment to not fool around. "Sounds like trouble in paradise for our smartest and youngest, huh? I might not have the best advice compared to what you could give for school work- or whatever you guys disagree on- but I can try to add my input, and you can determine if it helps or not." Leaning back further into her chair, Adora could feel her weight balancing the chair on the back of the legs while her attention was focused on the wide window peering out over the campus dorm grounds.

Students from different minors and majors roamed the sidewalks beneath their complex without any care in the world as it was the weekend after all-, but there were still no signs of her two best friends. She could feel her thoughts wandering off into the unknown again until she heard Frosta cutting through her train of thought with a groan. "Trouble in paradise happens for everyone- even us smart kids. Regardless I'm over here attempting to do this stupid biology project where we make either plant structures for cells or animal structures, and I wanna do animals. Still, someone; says I should do plant because that might get me a better grade." Frosta paused for a minute when both Adora and her heard Perfuma complaining about her point in the background before Frosta interrupted her to continue explaining to Adora what was happening. "But I mean, come on! How does that sound interesting to a bunch of kids acting like adults in high school?"

There was their catch to calling her, and like most times- it was something simple and unnecessary to argue over but would she mention that to them? Absolutely not because both of them were hardheaded individuals, and it would have been more successful in explaining to brick walls algebra problems. Frosta must have caved under pressure from Perfuma because, in the next moment, she could hear the phone being handed off to Perfuma with her speaker on so both of them could explain their side to Adora. "Adora, please could you explain to Frosta that despite not seeming that interesting- there are so many great factors to learning and hearing about all that plants can actually do? It's not the fact that I care whether she does either, but when she insults them so much without reason, then I have to interject somehow, and I can only help her so much!" 

Perfuma sounded exasperated even over the phone call, which let Adora know that their argument had been going on much longer than their phone call let known. That thought, for some reason, made Adora snort in amusement at the idea that her normally rational and mature friend had been arguing with someone much younger than her on topics they both were probably great at. Adora leaned her chair further back from her desk, using her balance to keep herself from falling back before she sighed and decided to cut through their unending bickering with her own suggestive compromise. 

She might have considered herself on the same intelligence level as her friends over the phone, and plus, it had been years since she had last needed to work on projects for plants and animals, but- she would do her best to help them resolve their problem. This compromise though, was something that had always stuck out to her like a sore thumb that nobody had ever talked about in her old classroom back before university- not even the teachers had talked about them. "Alright guys, that's enough arguing for a minute. You called me to help you resolve your problem, not pick sides- and even besides that- it doesn't matter what she chooses on the project so long as she does a good job on carrying it out. Maybe you could meet in the middle with something like an uh- ah uh- carnivorous plant like the venus fly trap?" 

Mentioning the unique plant life managed to snag the attention of both Perfuma and Frosta as they became silent in thought over the suggestion before Frosta hummed in acknowledgment. It made sense that they would be able to compromise ongoing for the more carnivorous plant life, and not many children in her school would have probably done the same project. "Venus flytraps, huh? I mean, that wouldn't be terrible because they're still pretty cool to hear about or watch. I wouldn't mind basing my project around them, although we should totally do something like cow venus traps!"

Hearing that unfiltered excitement from someone much younger than herself made her smile to nobody in particular because no matter how much everyone mention that Frosta should live through her youth- she would disregard their comment with the belief being older was more convenient. She was positive; both of them knew that those things wouldn't exist in this world unless someone did some freakish experiments that were questionable choices. 

Perfuma, on the end of the phone call though, sounded more exasperated at the excitement radiating from her friend but was more than willing to compromise with Adora and Frosta. "Those do not exist, and bless the heavens for that Frosta. Do you understand how utterly terrifying those would actually be had they existed somewhere?" Their conversation was once more going down another conversation path for the questions revolving around the what-ifs- but that allowed her some time to tune them both out from her thoughts and glance down to the notification bar that was still empty.

Her phone had become the primary form of communication with the one person who would have been her closest thing to someone like her actual sibling and when times such as that morning occurred- where she would be left alone with no communication from Catra. It made her heart feel unbearingly heavy and lonely- but she could never admit that to anyone- that would be too clingy for her to admit to the world out loud. She fumbled around with the hem of her shirt in absentmindedness before being pulled from her depressing thoughts by the sound of Perfuma, calling out her name in concern. "Adora-Adora, are you alright over there? You went quiet for a couple of minutes, and Frosta and I had been calling out your name to get your attention, but you wouldn't respond. Is everything alright?" 

Some reason something about that question caught her off guard because she had not been anticipating them to catch onto her attempting to appear like she was- Adora paused at that thought in confusion for herself. She had no clue if she either okay or not because she couldn't even tell if she was exaggerating her emotions at the moment or they were genuinely worth feeling down about. Adora chose not to respond for the moment and peered over to the clock on their wall in debate of if asking her friends for their opinion would have been worth the trouble, but if not for Bow and Glimmer being involved- she would have gone to them like normal. This situation was more delicate now with them involved though now, and it was none other than her own fault that it began in the first place. She finally spoke up in a half-minded state. "Yeah- sorry guys, just a little zoned out this morning because something was on my mind from something that happened earlier this week or well- been happening over the week." 

Great- here came her inability to mention problems that had been plaguing her thoughts without beating around the bush like it was nothing more than some kind of game to herself. It made herself sound so painfully pitiful when she really took the time to listen to herself, and she thought she had been getting better at these things, but, sometimes, you're not always making process as fast as you thought when situations involving proof came around. Adora hated this feeling of conflict and weakness for herself to the point that it came to the truth that she couldn't resolve simple matters on her own without drawing others into the chaos. None of that matter though, when it came to her friends, and even now- they both had another thought on the matter and weren't afraid to mention it to her. Perfuma had been the first one to break their silence. "Adora, you know we might have called you to help us settle this small issue, but if something is genuinely bothering you, dear, you can talk to us about it if Glimmer and Bow aren't around because what are friends for, huh?"

Had it been that oblivious that she nobody to talk to about it at the moment? She knitted her brows together and thought about how their normal morning together would have gone, and then the pieces started falling into order on how her other friends made their assumption. Typically speaking, both Bow and Glimmer would have been latched onto her side at the sound of their other friends. Things had been far from typical in their relationships after everything that had been happening with her holding on desperately to her childhood friend- Catra. It might not have been her smartest decision, and even with that being explained to her- she couldn't find the desire to do something that could permanently make her lose Catra again.

Adora brought her attention back to her phone laid out on the desk that was still displaying how long their call had been going on so far- not much time had passed- nothing more than 10 minutes that felt like hours that could carry on forever. That concept made her sink further into her chair with her knees pressed to her chest and her eyes glancing around the room in search for any traces that her best friends would pop into their dorm again. Frosta, in the time that her mind spent racing around in circles, had gathered up her own courage to speak her mind and chimed in with her own reassurance. "Yeah, Adora, I might not be as good as Glimmer or Bow at this stuff, but we're still friends, and you're always there for us, so why can we be?" 

Hearing someone much younger than her manage to sound so confident and caring speak to her with such ease made Adora sigh in defeat in withholding information from them both any longer. It would have been pointless by that point when they both were already this far into the situation as part of their friend group- word would get out sooner or later that the best friend squad was going through something rough. "Thanks, guys, I know you and everyone else in our friend group will always be here for me, but sometimes It's harder for me to express and understand that but-" Her throat at the latter bit of her comment because constricted as she could feel her heart racing at the progress of attempting to be open with people other than the two she had grown up besides from nearly the start. She couldn't end it her though, and she had nothing much to lose in the situation further and pressed on. "But things have been rough between Glimmer, Bow, and me lately because of that old friend coming back into my life with not the best first introduction. They don't really think I should be around her or like her too much, and I don't know how to clear up this miscommunication."

There- something coherent came out for the first time since this morning when even her own brain had been running miles without logic behind them. It summarized enough that they could grasp the current predicament and not expose too much of the history behind her and Catra. That would still have to be some conversation to have on another day when everything was out of the red-light zone. This was would have to be enough and could be something worth praise towards herself. Perfuma, like normal, though, had been the first one to break their silence with hesitation clear in her voice about their situation. "We both recall everyone being on edge during the early parts of our rally last rally opening, but we didn't think it was anything as bad as it sounds right now for you guys. How have you been genuinely handling it, dear?"

Her tone was warm and inviting as though it were patiently waiting for more to be exposed about the situation, but this was as far as she could allow herself to explain without breaking down in exhaustion. It did make Adora feel as though she were hiding secrets from the people dearest to her, but when nothing about everything with Catra made sense between them- did she have the right to explain everything as of now? It was serious though, and she had been handling everything terribly- she desperately wanted- no, she desperately needed help.

Adora could feel another migraine from earlier forming near her temples as she let her chair lower itself back down onto the ground before resting her head on the desk. It felt nice to have her head laid on the cold wood and eased her mind but only to an extent. "Not really too well but not really too bad either, just overall really weird between both parties. I just want to get them together and fix all the misunderstandings between both sides, but I don't know how and Bow and Glimmer wanna do a movie night tonight, so I don't know when I could."

Mentioning their event planned out for later that night made her head hurt, but instead of thinking further on that matter, she shut her eyes and leaned her back further against her chair. It would have been nice to pass out right there, but she had school work, and her friends were attempting to talk to her about her own problems when they could have left. Their silence was peaceful while it lasted though, until she heard Frosta gasping from the phone line until she spoke up with enthusiasm. "Adora, I don't understand why you don't try inviting them over to join you, Bow, and Glimmer for movie night then! If you can't find a time for them all to gather up like this, then why not try tonight?"

Her excitement had startled Adora enough to cause her balance in her chair to shake underneath her, but she was quick to regain her control of it before knitting her brows in confusion. It wouldn't have been the worst idea, but that did not mean it would have been the best idea either, and despite that- she contemplated the idea herself. 

Compared to her other alternatives, which would have been nothing more than her fruitlessly running her thoughts across the same topics until she would sooner or later break- that idea sounded reasonable. Still, some reason had never crossed her thoughts. It would come with one unavoidable problem though, and that would be nothing other than the question- would Catra subject herself to something she had already shown little interest in for their sake? That might have not even been something she would fret over had their last meeting between Glimmer and Catra gone better than their claims. 

Would Catra feel pressured on the topic if she were to simply place the offer on the table and let the cards fall where Catra deemed acceptable for herself? God, all these anxiety-ridden thoughts were driving her insane, but what else did people expect for her to do on her own like this? Life could be difficult to live through if you were placed between two options to crawl towards without the other side feeling bitter about the choice. Adora might have broken down in the next moment had she not heard that soft and mature voice from Perfuma comforting her through the phone with guidance that made her forget they were the same age. "That might work, but you should let both sides know about the idea before you go ahead and attempt that, but you still have some time to talk it through with everyone before nightfall, Adora." 

Adora hummed underneath her breath in acknowledgment of the comment Perfuma had given her while her fingertips traced the figures craved into her desk beneath her head. She could feel her muscles screaming out in anger against how tense she had unconsciously gotten over the past ten minutes, but her head was also emotionally drained. "That's not that bad sounding plan wise actually, but what if my friend doesn't agree to want to meet up with Glimmer and Bow? I mean, both sides had a pretty bad first interaction, not gonna lie here." Her voice sounded completely defeated when mentioning their prior interaction between her friends, and there were so many things that could have gone wrong from her choices. 

That might have been her anxiety plaguing her thoughts and making her doubt every action she made when it came to the action of dealing with Catra. It was true that even her normal self was more anxious than the average person, but with Catra back in her life, it felt as though everything was a life or death choice- like the institution taught her. Trust your brain over your own heart choices. "What is she pushes me away from seeing too pushy on the topic?" Uncertainty must have been evident in her voice because then next moment, she could hear Frosta checking into the conversation to voice her own thoughts again. 

"Adora, If they all really care about you and respect you, they might be more willing than you thought to coexist on better terms than they are right now, but you'll never know if you don't at least ask! You should ask right now!" Frosta must have been beaming on the other end of the phone at the chance to cheer up her friend in the most adult-like manner, but this was still- weird. She could feel both her cheeks warming up at the motivation but being on the phone with familiar personalities and voices had made her feel more energetic than before their call. "You got this, Adora, and you should totally do it right now! Shoot her a text! Shoot them a text!"

Perfuma must have had enough of the energy from their younger friend as she chimed in once more to both scold Frosta and reassure Adora. "Frosta, calm down and don't pressure her into doing it right now, but if you do feel confident enough right now, we both think it might be in your best interest to at least try Adora." Great, now both of them leaned more to the idea that she was to text both groups now, but it did make sense- if she were to wait until later or after the phone call- she would have most likely weaseled herself out from the situation. 

Adora made one final effort to steel herself for the calm before the storm before she bit her lip and reached out to snatch her phone from her desk. It felt as though her arms and face were on fire though with each passing moment of searching through her recent contacts until Catra's contact came into sight. There were still no responses back from the feline, and for some reason, that made her resolution dissolve for a minute before hardening again as she straightened up her back in the chair. This was not the time to hesitate or debate if she was making the right choice, but instead, she began typing out her next message to Catra. 

**Adora:** _Hey, Catra! Tonight we're having a movie night later and uhm… Bow and Glimmer are going to be there, but I really don't think I'll ever personally feel good unless we at least try to clear up the miscommunication between you guys, so if you're free later, maybe you and Entrapta could drop by our dorm for some movies and stuff... If you can't, I totally understand, but I would really appreciate the chance to see you again and have everyone at peace..._

Her phone laid in her clammy hands as she could feel her heart pounding with uncertainty in her chest, but she had come this far, hadn't she? There would be nothing ahead of the road from here except straight forward onto this path she had paved for herself. Adora inhaled through her pressed lips before pressing the send. Still, as soon as it showed the deliver notification at the bottom of her screen- she could feel her heart dramatically sinking into her stomach, but she kept her position and spoke up with small stutters." Alright, I might have- decided to send her the message, but I feel really scared for when she responds." 

Her throat burned from the feeling of bile forming in the back of her throat and the unending sensation of the floor beneath falling out from her feet. It was such an intense emotional state of mind that she was concerned that she might have even been having another anxiety attack of that week. There had already been too many of those these days since coming to the university, and she couldn't handle another one. Adora placed her phone down onto the table again, faced down then after that waited for one of the two to respond to her ragged breathing. 

Their phone call became silent on both ends for a moment as though they had been letting her collect her thoughts and regain control of her breathing- but that moment was very appreciated by Adora as she could feel her heard spinning before. Perfuma was the first one thought to break their silence after being sure that she had regained herself. "What happens, happened Adora, and either it was meant to be fixed now, or maybe you can attempt again another time in the future because not everything can be resolved right away. She might be nervous too." 

That made sense- Catra had been tense around her in person every time that they come across each other, even though their text messages were so carefree. It must have been hard for Catra to be reintroduced to someone she had believed for the longest time to have abandoned her alone in the institution after their promises. She wanted to agree with her friends and ease some more of her worries with her friend's company, but like everything in her life that was treated as a joke- she heard on familiar fumbling from the door with two voices bickering on the other side. 

Damn it- both her best friends must have finished up their morning shopping and hike around campus quicker than they normally spent loitering around. Whatever they did though, when she left them to their own devices since coming to the campus wasn't the main problem right now though- she had to wrap up her phone call with Perfuma and Frosta quick before she was caught with them. That could potentially lead to their phone call with the group lasting longer than she desired when she had other topics to now talk to them about. Her attention shifted down to her phone in slight panic before she rushed out her goodbyes and thanks. Guys, you're right. What is done is done for now, but I'm gonna head out now because Glimmer and Bow are here, and I really don't want them worrying over this too when I haven't end talked to them about it yet either. But really, thank you both for talking me through this! I love you both!"

Her rushed goodbye caught both of them off guard, but she could explain what happened another time when her roommate wasn't about to barrel through the door with Bow by the neck by the sound of them bickering. Another sound of the door handle jittering rang through her ears like still silence, but she did manage to hear the discombobulated goodbyes from her friends before she ended the call. After making sure the call was no longer going on, she turned her phone face down and directed her attention to their door. Adora then climbed to her feet and started to stumble over to the door to grab it. Like most times, she beat them to the part of unlocking the latch and opening the door for them- her normal expression plastered with her dorkiest smile as she leaned on the door frame and cocked out her hip to her left. 

She must have looked like someone had thrown an entire bag of cats at her head because she could feel her loose hair falling in weird places on her face, but that didn't matter much. Both Bow and Glimmer had become accustomed to seeing her in her casual attire for when they were all resting at each other's houses when they were younger. "Hey, guys! Bout time you two decided to come back because I was starting to think you both got sidetracked or something." 

Adora chuckled underneath her breath in uncertainty from the expression presence on Bow's face as though he was genuinely concerned as to what was going on with her- and that some reason made her feel somewhat bad again for thinking she had to play cool in front of her best friends. He stood there in silence with knitted brows and his hand outreach for the door handle while some bags hung from the corner of his elbows. Meanwhile, Glimmer, on the other hand, appeared exhausted and far too much so to notice the slight change of her voice when greeting them, but Adora couldn't blame her for not noticing. 

Glimmer was waiting impatiently behind Bow with her arms crossed over her chest and some bags in her hands while her forehead was slick with sweat from their venture out. She must have been ready to push herself through the door and cool off in the cool air of their dorm room. It would have been in her best intention to move out the way before she was bulldozed by the smaller female who was starting to slug forward without another care in the world. "Ughh, sorry about that Adora, we would have been back much soon, but Bow started mentioning this new store, and we, of course, had to go see if the hype was worth it behind it, but it was unusually hot today for me, and it was closed! Can you believe that!"

Listening to her friend complain like the normal about their weather conditions and draining situations in life was pleasant to hear even though it would have seemed annoying to someone that had not been raised around the hot-headed girl. It made her relax some more as she felt Glimmer brush past her through the door and stumble towards their small kitchen to toss their bags onto the counter to begin the unpacking process. She would have offered to assist Glimmer, but she knew that Glimmer appreciated organization, and she had to be the most unorganized person they both knew. However, even during the process, she was still complaining about things in the kitchen. 

On the other hand, Bow could only shrug his shoulders before offering Adora his trademark kind smile that removed any of the leftover tension in her shoulders. Bow, after being sure that the warm smile had eased her down enough, leaned over and whispered something into her ear. "She's only mad because they didn't have any more of her favorite anime books in stock at the library she wanted to stop at and grab some from. You know the routine, don't mind her." His playful comment brought the corner of her lips up into her normal playful smile before she finally stood back further into their dorm to let Bow make his way into the cool space. 

Both of them thought they were being stealthy with their conversations about their friend until they tensed up temporarily when hearing Glimmer groan out loud before shouting something from the kitchen endearingly. "Boooow, you promised you wouldn't go around telling everyone in my perfectly normal and temporary interest in the culture of art! I hope you know I heard you, dummy! Bring me the groceries!" Hearing her scold them with both affection and warning made both Adora and Bow chuckle to themselves before Bow decided to follow the source of the chaos in the kitchen. That, of course, was before he made sure to wink at Adora playfully before heading off to where he was summoned. 

Adora remained at the door to make sure to lock it and shut it securely but did watch from the corner of her vision as Bow made his path to the kitchen with the leftover groceries. Once he was gone though from sight- she clenched her fist and rested her forehead against the cold door, and attempted to rack her brain of how she could approach the topic of her letting her friends know of plans for tonight. It wouldn't be that bad inviting Catra over with her there to clear up the bad blood for once and all but- at least it hadn't been this hard inviting Catra over because that wasn't face to face like this situation was where she had to compile her thoughts into vocal words. 

Adora brought her forehead from the door for a moment before banging it back against the wood as her brain was running on empty thoughts for the first time that morning. It made sense that when she actually needed to think, she couldn't even form a single thought about the situation- of course. Life would always be the class clown to her. Still, she could build up some courage to follow her friends and either hope for the best or wing it terribly- one or the other would have to do for now. She pushed herself from the door and began her path towards the kitchen with the intention of talking to her friends when she could feel her blood running cold in her veins at the sound of her phone vibrating against the desk- letting her know someone had messaged her. 

That couldn't have been Catra responding to her message this fast after she had only sent the message to her 5 minutes ago, right? It had to have been nearly an hour since she had last heard from Catra to the previous message that was over nothing all that important. It could have been her, or it could have been something stupid like memes from her other friends- which one was it though, was the question that made her legs feel like jello. Would she be prepared to face possible rejection of the idea? Of her being rejected and running their real running chance at involving Catra back deeper into her life with the people she considered family by this point? Thoughts like these were the ones that left her feeling helpless as though she were a baby deer learning to walk again and left there to wallow- expect she hadn't been left there to wallow- Bow and Glimmer both called out to her in her most desperate times and this time was no different. "Hey, Adora, are you gonna come help me and Bow put things away and get stuff ready for tonight or nooot?" 

Glimmer, now that she had some time to stand around in the air-conditioned room, sounded less agitated now, but Adora knew that mentioning Catra might ruin that mood for good. She had to handle this right now, like handling bomb wires appropriately. One wrong move could result in explosions everywhere around her. "I'm coming in a minute! Just gotta check something really quick!" Both Glimmer and Bow had no response to her comment for a moment before their previous conversation between each other resumed and gave Adora some breathing room to check out her messages real quick. Alright, now was the time for action instead of fearing the outcome of said actions.

Adora bit her bottom lip in thought before shifting her attention from the kitchen doorway to the desk to her left that was laid dormant from the world. She steeled herself emotionally for a moment before beelining straight to her phone on her desk until she was standing directly over it, peering down at it as though it would murder her entire family. She debated on not even looking and acting like she had never even sent the last message, but she knew she truly wanted Catra completely back in her life- not just some temporary fixation. She needed to take this step.

She tightened her knuckles until she could feel the skin around them becoming pale and hurting a bit before she reached out her nervous hands and plucked the phone from her desk, and turned it on. It was somewhat expected but still- when she noticed the name of the notification on the front screen of her phone- her heart skyrocketed beyond healthy points until it felt as though it lodged itself in her throat. It felt suffocating- it felt thrilling- this felt reassuring. Even though her body had been screaming for release from the tension in her limbs, she was right about letting this important person back into her life. For once, she- made the right choice in trusting someone. 

It didn't matter at that moment how lacking the message was. The point got across and reached them both without hitches. Bold letters spelling out that familiar name that brought out an affection nostalgia feeling beamed on her phone with that picture Catra had taken from their last meeting. It was natural to be drawn to how much Catra had grown over the years but not in the bad sense. Adora brought her thumb over her phone to gently graze her finger over the contact photo before smiling. This simple message gave her more hope that their relationship wasn't beyond repair and nor was it something that was temporary for one side and long sided for the other. It was progress. 

**Catra:** _Sure, whatever, and I'll see if Entrapta can come along tonight. What time did you want us to come on over?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hypnosis here with another chapter coming at you with lightning speed. It did take quite longer than some of the other ones that somehow came out in 2 chapters each week but what can we say besides 2020 was insane and unexpected. The next chapter will actually come out along with this one near the end of the week and it is finished but to keep me ahead of chapters I’m doing it like this. 
> 
> Nothing much else to say besides enjoy the chapter and like always- shameless promotion because I’m not getting younger.  
> Twitter: FreakHypnosis  
> Discord server: Friend https://disboard.org/server/737423150391754884 || Aka Friends Of Mara
> 
> Happy New Year everyone!


	9. Proposition Denied

Standing expressionless in front of their dorm mirror that stared back with her own reflection. Catra could recognize every feature or imperfection on her face and figure from the image. It would never be her imagination that these bags underneath her eyes had intensified her sharp stare or changed the fact that her hair was unnaturally untamable. She wanted to appear decent tonight though- for no reason in particular besides from the fact every time she had met up with Adora by pure coincidence. It did not improve her reputation of being fashionable- aka what others could deem as a genuine hot mess.

Meanwhile, each time that she would come across Adora during their morning class or through the halls- that blonde idiot would look absolutely stunning no matter what she would wear. It ultimately made her self-aware of herself compared to Adora, and god damn it did she dislike that fact and the emotion that came in tow with it- maybe it made her pissy or even envious. Still, then underneath that, the tight knots in her stomach would leave her stumbling at the sight.   


Catra brought up her hand to her face to caress her cheek for a moment before her nails extended out to drag along her soft caramel face until it reached her hairline. That would have to do for tonight due to the fact that all her clothes were still relatively unpacked, and her finest possession clothes included would have to be this crimson blazer with her undershirt being another simple black undershirt. Her hair had been pulled back as it would typically be, but this time she did her best to tuck all the loose strands into her ponytail and that- worked out as well as it could for her messy natural appearance. "Fuck- who would have thought choosing the proper clothing to hang out with your old friend would have taken so much time. I'm exhausted from searching my luggage for this dumb blazer. It might count as overkill though- what do you think, Entrapta? I mean, aside from meeting that rude, short chick again, I want to make myself seem impressionable but not like over the top, you know?"

She heard mumbling from her roommate behind her, but as though she had said Nothing to Entrapta- she earned no response answering her question. Not that she had anticipated some kind of reasonable response from the girl without an inch of fashion sense, but- at least an acknowledgment wouldn't have hurt to been received. "Nothing? Not even some sort of hum to acknowledge that I'm talking to, I don't know- you?" Catra grumbled to nobody in particular at that moment before she dropped her hands down to her chest to adjust her blazer on her shoulders and neck and turned to face Entrapta.

Entrapta, at that moment, was staring down with intense interest in that dumb journal that she had most of the times been hoisting around in her arms for as she called it- unanticipated learning knowledge about others interacting or something. It seemed not even to bother her that they were about to head out to hang with people who had treated them relatively crappy or that they have no real clue what would happen that night. Instead, she sat criss-cross on her bed with her attention drifting from her journey over to where she stood with an uncomfortable intensity.

Her light beige overalls hung forward from her position hunched over her book while her well fit black long sleeve shirt clung to her torso- that was pretty expectable. It would seem that her favorite clothing collection would have to be overalls, but what right or interest did she have in condemning her roommate for comfort over style. It did suit her quite well, after all. Catra exhaled through her nose and crossed her arms with her brow, quirked up in interest and confusion what she could have been writing down with such intent. "What are you even writing down in that stupid thing? You know all I have been doing is standing here, so unless you're writing like fanfiction about me- don't you think about learning new, less creepy hobbies?" 

Catra remained there waiting impatiently for her roommate to respond, and when she for the first time managed to catch the acknowledgment of her roommate- Entrapta made it seem as though she were asking the most stupid ridiculous question known to the world. Entrapta knitted her brows together in focus on her before setting down her pencil into her journal and tilting her head like some lost puppy on the road. "Sorry about that, but I still don't understand what you mean, Catra. What else would I have to do right now if not writing important entries down about my surroundings or the people near me? You've been really frantic as of the last couple of days when you normally aren't like this when browsing over old statics. You fret overdressing- you fret over text messages- and not to mention making accidental meetings perfect. Would you mind me asking what has you so erratic yourself? I cannot figure out what caused this with you." 

When her hidden motivates or unusual concerns over small things when interacting with Adora over the past week were revealed from her roommate- she could feel her blood boiling unnaturally as though she had been caught doing something she was not supposed to be doing. It might have been her defensive nature and the fact that this brought things to light that she had not even accepted herself, but she still sharpened her stare and tapped her foot in agitation against the floorboards. Just when the hell did Entrapta learn to shoot back her smart-ass remarks or questions? She couldn't say that if this were someone else, that response would be normal, but after weeks of doing her best not to murder this socially weird roommate- this was the farthest thing she expected from her. "You're overthinking everything, Entrapta- I'm not fretting over anything, nor have I been doing that. I'm sure everyone else would act like this if their friend invited them over for a movie night- no big deal, and like I said- stop writing down my god damn habits. It's weird and annoying as hell." 

Her ability to be polite or kind for things that bothered her could last for some time, but she had been attempting to ignore the weird habit of writing down about her from Entrapta for much too long, and now- things were underneath her skin. Catra could feel her nails embedding themselves into her arms dangerously until she could feel small warm trails running down her forearm- but she ignored that and instead stormed over to where her roommate sat until she stood in front of her and she could peer down at her. 

For some reason though, her roommate was determined not to back down from this conversation though, and instead, she frowned at the sudden close proximity between them. It should have been her made though, that her personal privacy was continually being monitored and compared, and this would be her final straw for the matter that brought the stack. Catra brought herself down to match face level with Entrapta before baring her teeth and clicking her tongue in frustration towards the weird invasive hobbies her roommate had. From the first moment they had met each other, she tried to withhold their peace and be friendly, but when it came to moments such as these, it was almost entirely impossible. "Catra, I understand you might not see things as I see them, but the statics and analysis charts don't lie to me. Compared to others' interactions with their friends, you, for some reason, don't fall into any categories for me and your actions are- strange." 

Her mind had been made up from the sound of it and would not back down from this conversation, such as she did with other discussions, and her stare matched in intensity from her own. Nothing about that morning or evening was calming her mind and the fact that even though she understood that Entrapta meant no malice behind her comments- everything that her roommate was still angering her beyond comprehension. Entrapta would continue to believe that what she was doing was okay even when it would never be okay for her and that had to change- force or not. "Nothing you write down about people will apply to every static or whatever Entrapta- We exist with different lives, and the faster you learn that or stop comparing me to others- the longer your college experience will be peaceful." 

Hearing that comment that had menace behind it made Entrapta wince, but before she could recover from what had been said or register thing around herself- Catra launched her hand out and hooked her nails into the small notebook to pluck it from her roommate. It did seem enough to kick-start Entrapta into registering everything happening, and she did attempt to lurch forward and take back her notebook- but she would have to be faster than that because in the next second. Catra hopped some paces back with her expression getting grim when seeing the frustrated expression on Entrapta. That was unusual. Not often did she get to witness Entrapta getting upset genuinely for anything besides unless she was passionately rambling about animal health but not this. "Catra- wait, be careful with that! All my important documents are in there since coming here, and that is all I have from home that genuinely matters to me. I don't understand why you are getting so upset over this. All I wanted was you to explain to me what you were thinking!" 

Entrapta empathized with each comment in confliction as her arms fumbled to her side to push her up off the bed and stumbling forward in the direction of Catra. She must have been serious with her determination to snatch that journal back from her, but that would not happen. Catra snorted in dismissal of her pleads before unlatching her nails from the cover and opening the book in curiosity of what could be so valuable. Of course, she would respect the privacy of others that Entrapta had written about, but when she came across her supposed dedicate entry logs- she skimmed through the paragraphs and charts. "Catra, please, I'm not done with half of my observations from the book, and some of that I don't want others to read about until I've made complete observations!" 

Catra could have listened to her roommate, but instead, she would tune her out as she did for the rest of the world until she found out what Entrapta had been writing about with intense interest. Nothing from the first paragraphs though, caught her interest nor seemed out of the ordinary from some boring essay. Still, near the bottom, in neat cursive handwriting, something interesting caught her interest. It appeared messier than the other writing and more forced on the pencil lead, but the message read as the following. 

_ Personal Entry Number 10: Things around campus have been chaotic since I met Catra. The same seems to carry on for her side as well, but- something about Catra lately has been different from previous entries or information written on her so far. It could be numerous things that had caused this change, but something that most comes to thought would be that strange blonde woman named, I believe, Adora? Do they dislike each other or something different? I don't understand this change, but I'm positive it is bothering Catra and me- well. I suppose this could be considered me wanting to help the one person who treated me something like a friend for the first time since away from home.  _

_ The topic of our own emotions aside though, I will conduct more examination to better process the situation for answers that could help her in some manner.  _

_ Catra is- what I would like to call my friend. _

_ Entry 10 - Entrapta _

Catra tensed up her muscles when reading the last notes in the entry while her head felt as though it were pounding from the new intake of information about her roommate she had been around for not even four weeks. This moment of confusion and thought though, had let Entrapta successfully close the distance between them and snatch her journal back from Catra without another moment of hesitation this time. Entrapta then clutched her journey to her chest as though it were her life and held out her hairs to barricade herself from Catra, who had been bit by bit coming back to reality. 

Reality was harsh though, as she had read something that she herself had no right to read but- she had not anticipated for Entrapta to note down something so personal in the journal she used to write weird human notes down on. Catra lowered her ears down against her head while her stare softened substantially towards her roommate, who had been now inspecting for destroyed contents. She understood that sometimes she handled things more harshly than others who weren't accustomed to the institution's demanding ways, but- this might have been her worst fuck up since coming to the university. 

During the heat of her anger, she had done something that hurt her roommate, and for some reason, that made her feel remorseful. She had been doing her hardest to become kinder, but here she was again acting as she was in the institution after Adora had left- cold and hateful. Fuck, that was not what she wanted though here in this new environment even though her elders wanted chaos in the school- no, this was not her intention at all. Bile formed in the back of her throat while the hair on her arms stood on ends at the silence between them now, and something in her chest was tightening to the point she thought she was dying. 

Catra allowed her arms to lower down to her side and hang there with remorse painted on her expression, which Entrapta caught sight of and took some paces back. She had to build up some courage from somewhere before this situation escalated worse than it had already been, and her first action was to look her roommate in the face. God, she understood that Entrapta would express genuine hurt about what had happened but when she saw it- genuinely saw her expression- her stomach knotted up, then the air got kicked her lungs- leaving her stranded breathless in her own chaotic emotions. Confusion whirled around those crimson eyes that stared back at her with questions of why she did what she did. Not even she knew, though. "Shit- I mean- Entrapta, I'm genuinely- I didn't think you would keep other things other than dumb charts and stuff in your notebook and I didn't- I didn't think further on the matter." 

Her genuine albeit futile attempt at an apology made her roommate frown and clutch her journal closer to her chest after securely closing her book. Catra could tell that Entrapta was still not completely convinced, but she did ease up her shoulder as she caresses her book's cover for comfort. It took her some time to respond to her apology though, and when she did- it was soft- almost inaudible but loud enough that Catra's sensitive ears could pick up on it. It was both considered a blessing and curse when her ears could pick up on sounds from halfway across the campus but useful for moments when someone decided to whisper things. "How much did you see, Catra? I mean, if you saw what I think you saw- I can explain- It was a stupid trial to see if writing my personal thoughts down would help future speculations but- I don't know honestly- but I thought trying new things would be useful for me to learn stuff." 

Entrapta, for some reason, sounded ashamed of her entry notes, but for what real purpose- Catra had no clue when all they were was diary notes that were relatively normal for people to do. Sometimes back at the institution, she too had done her own private diary entries about how things were going in her life, but they never went anywhere nor helped her- but if they helped Entrapta, why be ashamed of that? Then again, considering that this woman spoke in constant riddles and metaphors, anything not normal was bound to happen around her. 

Shit- Catra had never in her life been great when it came to comforting others, nor was she taught lessons about it. The Horde's institution had never taught her, and instead, the emotions that did not involve anger were relatively irrelevant and deemed dysfunctional. Instead, she was the biggest asshole who had gone and did the thing that she was trying to teach Entrapta not to do- invade others' privacy for your own devices. She didn't want to be compared to others- nor did she want her privacy regularly being written down as though she were some caged animal that Entrapta dawned on. Catra could feel her tail twitching beneath her against the floorboards in uncertainty, but she ignored the sensation of chills and raised her hand to caress the back of her neck awkwardly. "Entrapta listen, alright? I'm only going to say this once because what I did was pretty spiteful of me, and you probably want an explanation- but don't tell people I said anything to you because I'll be the first to find out and crap or whatever, but- It wasn't stupid. That entry it was- well- not what I expected since I've not been the most friendliest to you, but I didn't think it was stupid. It was. Nice. Trying new things is good." 

That came out tenser than she had intended it to, but her voice did not feel as though it belonged to her at that moment. She could never become too accustomed to calming nor praising others over something that either she did, or they did. It went against everything she had ever known, and that was never to honor the weak-minded, so this was her feeble attempt at pulling magic from her ass with her apology. It did seem to earn something positive from Entrapta reaction wise as her hold on her journal loosened and she unfurrowed her once knitted brows. Confusion was still present on her expression, but she seemed less on edge now, so that was great. "You have been friendly to me though, Catra- I don't understand why you would think I would think negative things about you unless you do things that make me think that. You are the only person so far on campus who doesn't mind being around me, and you even defended me when I didn't want to! I'm not too caught up in my own world to see good people, Catra. You're a good person." 

Earning praise from someone that had the most straight facts expression plastered on her face was unusual enough to raise the hackles on the back of her neck and arms. That was not to mention the warm flush to her face that left her looking like some tomato. This had to be considered high on the list for embarrassing moments with another person beside Adora. Catra diverted her attention away from the intense stare Entrapta was sending her way and to her clawed feet. It might have been weird to be praised back by Entrapta, but did she genuinely believe that she was someone worthy to be deemed a good person? What even made someone a good person? She could she even be considered that after everything she had to do in the Horde? 

There were so many unanswered questions, but Entrapta did not seem like the type of person to bullshit sincerity for others. This must have been what she herself genuinely believed enough to tell her. That aside, though, this was not how she expected her night to roll close to the closing, and she could now expect this night to continue with the same energy. "Some people can act like good people, Entrapta- but thanks, I guess. That still does not change the fact that I don't want to hear about your comparisons with me and other people, though- keep that stuff to yourself, okay? I don't appreciate hearing comparisons." 

Expressing her embarrassment to someone other than some random mirror made her face warm up more than it had already been, but she did need to own up to her mistakes. It should have ended there though, with their conversation, but her roommate had other plans from the seam of it as her expression beamed with pure excitement. Entrapta raised her pencil from her journal and went on to write something with that same interest as earlier about what? Catra had no clue as the usual with this woman. She must have done something noteworthy, and even though she had officially given Entrapta permission to write in silent about her- she had not anticipated her roommate to begin noting things down immediately. "Catra, I think I might have come to another conclusion about the fundamental problem you might have been dealing with in recent events! From inspecting others, this might be some helpful information for you!" 

When mentioning her conclusion, Catra could tell that excitement lit up in those crimson eyes that stared back at her with confidence, and for that- she would hear out this unknown discovery out of sheer curiosity and interest in what she had done to conclude Entrapta's concerns. Catra scuffed her foot against their floor and peered over to their alarm clocks that let her know that they should have been probably heading over to Adora's dorm- wherever that was in their complexion. Still, first, she would learn what had made her roommate so enthusiastic before herding them out of the room. Like most people would taunt her with- curiosity, kill the cat, but somehow satisfaction brought it back. "Really lost me there, Entrapta, because what you could have learned in five minutes of talking to me is kinda limited. Although if your conclusion results in you calling me some sweetheart underneath my rough exterior, then you will lose an eye or limb." 

That might have indeed been some threat she would use often, but she did mean that. It would not have been the first time someone had attempted to make assumptions about her and resulted in their arms being covered in scratch marks, but- she did speak with politeness in an attempt to avoid another uncomfortable heartfelt moment where her roommate cried because of something she did. She might never admit this, but she definitely did prefer the weird, unpredictable Entrapta instead of the woman that expressed fear and hurt as normal people would. After all-, Entrapta was not once since meeting her considered to be normal. 

Her uneasiness that the thought about being the cause of that expression from Entrapta must have been written all over her face because in the next moment- Entrapta fiercely shook her head to dismiss the sullen atmosphere before smiling as though Nothing had happened before her conclusion. She removed herself from the situation with ease. She breezed her over notes with concentration as though she were justifying her conclusion, and with the notes aligning perfectly to her conclusion- she released the demons from hell that would break Catra harder than she thought. "Hear me out before you decide whether this conclusion is accurate or not because this has been trial and error with you, but- whenever you are around that Adora person or even texting her- you act modest like you did not too long ago with me! You're what could be called flustered or embarrassed, but from notes regarding others who claim to be together relationship wise act like you do when she's there or mentioned. Although I might not have the best information on situations like these- my notes from the couples around campus make me think you consider Adora on another level- further past friendship and more on the lines of really liking her! What do you think of my conclusion?" 

Catra remained bolted down to the floorboard beneath her without so as much moving an inch from her position in front of her roommate while attempting to listen to all the information being hurled at her at high speed. That did not matter though to her other limbs though, as her tail straightened out at the thought that her roommate had been considering over their relationship that was Nothing but- wait, what even could they consider their relationship at that point? It might have been true that she thoroughly loved being around Adora or even interacting with her, but there were still some unresolved emotions of abandonment from her.

That had been too much information to intake from her roommate, who had been breathless before her after talking more than she had been breathing.

Entrapta seemed so proud of her conclusion, but her conclusion left Catra for a loss of words on the matter because- that couldn't be true, right? Liking Adora? Someone who had known the pair of them forever could laugh that off as someone pulling their leg at the moment because Catra believed Adora abandoned her- and Adora believed Catra genuinely hated her when it was Nothing but hurt unresolved feelings from her actions of leaving without saying something. It wouldn't have made sense, and despite that- her ability to notice every feature, every ring to her laughter and mound or mold to her friend's body that had formed during her time away. 

Thoughts from her mind were turning more detailed about her childhood friend, but that confused her even more because she had never thought about romance; nor had she had never thought about reconciliation with Adora because none other than her elders for the most of her life had predestined her life. That did not matter here though, because while her elders expected her to complete their desire for chaos- she was technically free to make her own thoughts and choices until she returned. Most time, Scorpia had even encouraged her to seek further than her elders' directions, and despite that, she had never even tried to listen. 

Catra understood that without her elders' guidance, she could be considered Nothing more than the monster that could roam and create uncharted destruction. That fact could never be changed, and she learned, the faster she accepted that fact, the more her life would feel less chaotic, but here she was faced with the problem of her own thoughts. She mused over them in silence with her expression devoid of emotion as to not show signs that Entrapta had planted terrible thoughts into her head because she could only run off so many of them before getting tired emotionally. 

That did not erase the fact that none of her recent actions were more unusual for herself when regarding the thought that- if someone other than Adora was constantly interacting with her, she would have scratched their eyes out and ran them out of her life. Catra frowned that Entrapta before tapping her foot against the floor as none of the connections matched romantically being interested in Adora- thus meaning if that thought did not make sense- it would continue not to be what she would consider a possibility for them. It did not settle down right in her stomach with that conclusion, but she was hungry as hell- that could be brushed off as something like hunger, and plus, they had spent enough time playing around. It was about time that they both began heading out to meet on time at Adora's place and decrease the issue of getting lost and being late. "Head back to the drawing board, nerd- that's far from how it actually is between us. Get your mind out the gutter, and come on, we're gonna be late because of you." 

Entrapta seemed perplexed at the announcement as it had been her own way to dismiss her roommate. Before she could start another mind tearing conclusion- Catra turned on her soles and began heading in the direction of their door without much else to talk about. That did not stop her roommate from recovering from the dismissal though. She was quick to stammer out an explanation as to what could make her conclusion correct, but- that was all unintelligible to her as her mind was full of thoughts and memories of Adora.

Catra paused to dig her hand around in her pockets until she could see the most recent text message from Adora as a notification letting them know the room number before she sighed. This really was going to be a long night out now, and to be honest- she was exhausted but somewhat anticipating seeing Adora again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hypnosis here with another chapter coming at you with lightning speed! I might have even lost my touch with writing Entrapta down right but I tried! It won’t ever be perfect but I’m content. 
> 
> Nothing much else to say besides enjoy the chapter and like always- shameless promotion because I’m not getting younger.  
> Twitter: FreakHypnosis  
> Discord server: Friend https://disboard.org/server/737423150391754884 || Aka Friends Of Mara


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